Argonne honors teacher for excellence in science education

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ARGONNE, Ill. (May 17, 2006) — Mike Kennedy, physics teacher at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, has received the Ellis P. Steinberg Award for Pre-College Science Teaching from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Argonne's chapter of Sigma Xi.

The award is given to teachers in the state of Illinois who have shown excellence and innovation in teaching the fundamentals of science. Recipients of this award receive a plaque recognizing their achievements and a monetary award of $500.

Kennedy teaches advanced placement physics and honors physics at Neuqua Valley. Beyond his classes, Kennedy also oversees the school's annual bridge building contest, as well as the school's annual rocket launch and a yearly trip to Great America for students to study amusement park physics. In addition, Kennedy is involved in preparing students for the Science Olympiad competition.

Neuqua Valley principal Michael Popp said Kennedy "continues to work every day to refine his instruction to make physics exciting and accessible to all his students. Whether engaging students in a lab or lecture, the journey Mike leads is one students know is worth taking."

Kennedy's past honors include being named Illinois Physics Teacher of the Year for 2004-2005 by the Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers and being the Midwest winner of the Subaru National Science Teaching Award. He has also received numerous Most Influential Teaching Awards from Neuqua Valley students.

The Steinberg award commemorates the commitment to excellence in science education exemplified by the late Ellis P. Steinberg who had an illustrious career in nuclear chemistry and was director of Argonne's Chemistry Division from 1982-1988. After retiring as division director, Steinberg was very active in the lab's Division of Educational Programs where he worked to improve the quality of science education. “The Steinberg Award is an outstanding example of the level of commitment of Argonne to science education,” said Harold Myron, Director of Argonne's Division of Educational Programs.

Funds for the award have been provided through the generosity of family, friends and colleagues of Ellis P. Steinberg. The award is jointly administered by Argonne National Laboratory and the Argonne chapter of Sigma Xi.

Argonne National Laboratory brings the world's brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.