Third Class of Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowships Announced

Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor John Carey, in conjunction with the

Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

, today announced the state’s third cohort of Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows, which includes six University of Cincinnati (UC) students who will join the ranks of accomplished fellows.

The announcement took place at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. 

The 2013 Ohio Teaching Fellows are the third class of new teacher candidates to be prepared through the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship program since its inception in 2010. Each of the 77 Ohio Fellows – who are recent, outstanding college graduates or accomplished career changers – will receive a $30,000 stipend to complete their intensive master's degree at one of the program’s partnering universities, including UC. 

UC’s six Woodrow Wilson STEM Teaching Fellows will begin a 15-month intensive, field-based master’s degree program this summer from UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) and were selected after a thorough application and interview process. They will prepare for mathematics and science teaching positions in Ohio’s high-need schools and commit to teach for at least three years in such schools upon graduation, with ongoing support and mentoring. 

Aimed at enhancing the design of teacher education programs and fostering partnerships among institutions of higher education and high-need school districts, the program encourages fellows to master innovative teaching approaches for the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) fields.

“Through this program we have piloted different models and have explored important questions about the ways in which learning environments are structured for both teachers and students alike,” said Helen Meyer, director of UC’s Fusion STEM Education Center. “All research indicates that stability of adults is paramount to students in high-need schools so we require fellows to spend an entire year with the same students and take on full teaching responsibilities for the final public school semester. From lesson and unit planning, to classroom management, to grading and meeting with parents, our fellows are fully integrated into their classrooms.”   

With support from faculty mentors in CECH, UC’s McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, and UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, fellows learn alongside practicing secondary mathematics and science teachers. They also take courses that emphasize integrating engineering ideas and practices into mathematics and science instruction. Special sessions in technology use, understanding the new common core standards, and other important topics are integrated into coursework through the summer.

“We are proud to play an active role in invigorating teacher education programs and to provide a cutting-edge master’s degree program that enhances achievement for future teachers and their students alike,” said Edward Latessa, interim dean of CECH. “The UC Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows Program serves as a testament to the benefits of university-wide and industry-wide collaboration, and we look forward to its enduring positive impact.” 

The 2013 UC Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows are:

Michael Huesman – Huesman earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UC in 2013 and has served as a trainer for technical support staff and an adult tutor in physics and math. Highly involved in the community, he has been a hospital orderly and peer trainer, an Eagle Scout, a collegiate rugby player, and is in various community outreach programs.

Vince Pescatrice – Pescatrice is an alumnus of UC, earning his bachelor’s degree in biology in 2012. He has been a volunteer / observer in STEM classes in high-need Cincinnati schools and has served in many other volunteer capacities for multiple organizations. 

Kira Schall – Schall earned her bachelor’s in biology from the College of William and Mary in 2013. She has been a remedial math tutor with special-needs middle-school students, a senior camp counselor / sustainable agriculture intern, and a volunteer for an after-school STEM program. She also worked as an intern in marine invertebrate care and is a competitive synchronized swimmer.

Nicholas Shaver – Shaver graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006 with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering. He garnered industry experience working as a repair engineer with a major aviation firm and has been an active volunteer and mentor for multiple nonprofit organizations.

Sarah Smith-Polderman – Smith-Polderman earned her bachelor’s in mathematics from The College of Wooster in 2013. She received top honors for a study she conducted on data mining and song choice and is involved in mathematics associations and singing. 

Stephanie Webster – Webster is a Northern Kentucky University graduate who earned her bachelor’s in biology in 2013. She is a volunteer pharmaceutical researcher and pharmacy technician as well as an avid cook and former volunteer for the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 

About the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services has been dedicated to excellence in teaching for more than a century. With more than 32,000 alumni, 5,300 undergraduate and graduate students and 150 faculty and staff, the college prepares students to work in diverse communities, provides continual professional development and fosters education leadership at the local, state, national and international levels.