Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, a life sciences Instructor of Excellence at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been named a Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) recipient.
The award recognizes outstanding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers who have demonstrated a commitment to professional development, innovative teaching techniques and technology in their classroom. The program is conducted by the National Science Foundation on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
A national committee of scientists, mathematicians and educators review the applications and recommend teachers to receive the award. Winners are chosen from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. territories and school operated in the United States and overseas by the Department of Defense Education Activity.
Krakowiak was named a state finalist in the science category for grades 7-12 in both 2021 and 2023. She was named a recipient for the 2021 award on Jan. 13, 2025, after the announcement for those awards had been delayed. Krakowiak said she was excited to finally receive news about the award.
“Though it has been four years since I submitted my original application, the news that I was selected from all of the Arkansas science teachers who applied was a wonderful surprise,” Krakowiak said. “It is a culmination of so much effort and time spent in and out of the classroom that it feels truly significant and worthwhile.”
In a statement that was included with her bio on the PAEMST awards website, Krakowiak compared the PAEMST award to a Nobel Prize for STEM teachers.
“It is the highest honor I can imagine for the work I am so passionate about: exciting, engaging, motivating and empowering my students,” she said. “The Presidential Award validates my persistent efforts of trying new pedagogical approaches and differentiating instruction for students from diverse backgrounds to enrich their journey into STEM because, especially today, our world needs critical thinkers and problem solvers.”
Krakowiak previously described the application process for the award as very intensive but quite rewarding as well. She had to pick a topic for which she had to develop several lesson plans, hands-on activities and extensive studies. She also had to record herself teaching a class on the topic using all the engagement tools and student discussions that she would normally implement to enhance student learning.
In addition to serving as a classroom instructor as well as the chair for ASMSA’s Science Department, Krakowiak is as an instructor and mentor for the school’s Advanced Biology Plus cohorts in the STEM Pathways program. The program provides instruction for biology students as well as curriculum and professional development for educators statewide.
“As a teacher of other educators enrolled in our Advanced Biology Plus program across the state, I think that it is very important we continue to elevate and highlight the incredibly important and difficult work that all teachers do in helping students become critical thinkers that choose STEM fields for their career paths,” Krakowiak said. “It is absolutely essential for the future of our world that young minds are prepared to solve complex problems by applying their analytical reasoning skills and trusting their innovative approaches. It is the teachers of these students who cultivate and help grow the creative and aspirational abilities of the next generation.”
As part of the award, each awardee will receive a certificate signed by the President and a $10,000 award from NSF. Awardees also will travel to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony at a future date.
This is not the first time Krakowiak has been recognized for her teaching methods and classroom dedication. She was named one of 10 national recipients of The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards in June 2020 as well as being recognized for her contribution to the Arkansas Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in 2020. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher, earning that recognition by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2018.