Dr. Raquel Lieberman (Left) and Mr. Casey Bethel, Georgia’s 2017 Teacher of the Year (Right)

Mr. Casey Bethel was recently honored as Georgia’s 2017 Teacher of the Year. He teaches advanced placement (AP) Biology, AP Physics, Biology, and Physical Sciences at New Manchester High School in Douglasville, Georgia. Recipients of this prestigious award are outstanding local and state public school teachers in Georgia who serve as shining examples of excellence in education, and Mr. Bethel is the first STEM teacher in over a decade to receive this award. He notes, “This award is a huge honor, and in many ways it serves as validation of the hard work and sacrifices I have put into growing in this career. I hope that it further inspires my students to work hard and pursue their dreams.”

Mr. Bethel credits his accomplishment and growth as an educator to the many summers he spent working in Dr. Raquel Lieberman’s lab supported in part by a Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)-funded Research Experience for Teachers (RET) supplement. As described in the Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 12-075), RET supplements enable K-12 science educators to participate in NSF-funded scientific research projects with the goal of enhancing their professional development through the experience of conducting research at the emerging frontiers of science in order to bring new knowledge to the classroom. Dr. Lieberman actively recruited Mr. Bethel and requested a RET supplement when designing the broader impacts of her MCB-funded 2009 CAREER award. You can find out more about the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award here.

The Lieberman lab uses techniques, such as protein crystallography and computer modeling, to determine structure–function relationships of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma. Mr. Bethel notes, “Dr. Lieberman welcomed me and made me a contributing member of her team. Every year since, my wealth of knowledge has grown and my teaching practices have improved. My students are better prepared for college science courses now, and more than 50 of them are excelling in STEM majors and careers.” Additional outcomes of the RET experience for Mr. Bethel and Dr. Lieberman include co-authorship of a scientific research paper undergoing peer review, and the publication of a teaching unit describing multimedia-guided inquiry for high school science classrooms in the Journal of Chemical Education.

Join us in congratulating Mr. Casey Bethel as Georgia’s 2017 Teacher of the Year and acknowledging the commitment of Dr. Raquel Lieberman to expanding the broader impacts of her research as MCB celebrates this outstanding recognition.

This work is partially funded by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Award #MCB-0845445.