Joshua Abrams of Roslindale, Mass., a master teacher of mathematics at the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science at WPI, will receive one of the nation's highest commendations for K-12 math and science teachers. He has been selected for a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching by the National Science Foundation. Abrams previously was one of three finalists from Massachusetts to receive a state award.
The letter of notification noted that "your exceptional talent, leadership abilities and dedication as a teacher are qualities that place you among the recipients of the nation's highest honor for mathematics and science teaching. You stand firmly among the nation's best science and mathematics teachers."
Abrams will be honored in Washington, D.C. in June during a four-day event that will include a meeting with members of the executive branch of the government, a dinner cruise on the Potomac, and an awards ceremony at the National Academy of Sciences followed by a reception and dinner at the State Department. Awardees will also attend seminars and engage in professional discussions with their peers and with national legislators and educational policy makers. The award includes a $7,500 grant to the academy for the school's science and mathematics program.
"This award is testimony to Josh's innovative approach to the teaching of mathematics, and to his relentless goal of connecting the learning of mathematics to real world applications," said academy director James Hamos.
In 1996 and 1997 Abrams served as the conference chair of the First and Second Annual Conference on Mathematical Modeling in the Secondary Classroom. Sponsored by the academy, the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Alliance for Education and WPI, the program featured hands-on workshops by classroom teachers, curriculum researchers and professors at WPI, Mount Holyoke and Smith colleges. In 1996 he received the Massachusetts Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's Peter Farrelly Educator Award for excellence in creating learner-centered classrooms.