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Indian-American educators receive Presidential honors
Established in 1983, PAEMST honors K-12 STEM teachers nationwide for excellence, evaluated by experts on content mastery and innovative teaching for diverse learners.
Top (L-R), Rama Devagupta, Vivekananda Balija. Bottom (L-R), Anjana Iyer, Rajini Sundararaj, Ranjani Krishnan. / Image - NSF
President Joe Biden announced over 300 recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) on Jan.13 including prominent Indian-Americans.
These educators were recognized for their contributions to STEM education and mentoring. The National Science Foundation, which manages PAEMST provides each recipient $10,000.
The Indian American honorees are:
Vivekanand Balija from the William Annin Middle School in New Jersey, who has taught science for 17 years. He uses his background as a biochemist and geneticist to engage students in STEM projects like weather data analysis and landscape modeling.
Balija co-founded the school’s Forensics Speech and Debate program. He holds a B.S. in biological sciences, an M.S. in cell and molecular biology, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from St. John’s University, and an M.A. in education from SUNY Empire State.
Rama Devagupta, a teacher at Southridge High School in Washington, specializes in biology and chemistry. She incorporates her research experience at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory into her lessons and has received multiple grants, including the 2024 Hutch Fellowship.
Devagupta earned a B.S. in chemistry, botany, and zoology; an M.S. in chemistry from Ravishankar University; and a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry from Texas A&M University.
Anjana Iyer, an inclusion chemistry teacher at Hillsborough High School in New Jersey, is committed to inclusive education. She co-teaches chemistry and has presented on teaching in inclusion classrooms at national conferences.
Iyer earned a B.S. in chemistry from Stella Maris College and an M.A.T. in special education and general education from The College of New Jersey.
Krishnan Ranjani, a computer technology and mathematics teacher at Lincoln High School in Portland, guided students in creating a 3-D face shield prototype during the pandemic.
She holds two bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and music theory from Reed College, and master’s degrees in mathematics and mathematics teacher education.
Rajini Sundararaj, a science educator with 28 years of teaching experience, currently working at South Atlanta high school promotes equity through differentiated instruction and inquiry-based labs. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in physics from Bharathiar University and an Ed.S. in curriculum and instruction from Lincoln Memorial University.
These educators exemplify excellence in STEM teaching and mentoring, preparing students to tackle future challenges.
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