Congratulations to all 2022 nominees, and to the three SciFest STAR finalists!
Randolph College SciFest has announced the finalists for its Science Teaching Award from Randolph (STAR), which honors a high school science teacher who has contributed significantly to the lives of their students and who exhibits excellence in the teaching of science.
They are:
- Catherine Drumheller, who teaches biology at Heritage High School. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology from Mary Washington College and her master’s in educational leadership from Lynchburg College, now the University of Lynchburg.
- Patricia Ehsani, who teaches chemistry at Nelson County High School. She graduated from Rutgers University’s College of Pharmacy and also holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Florida Gainesville and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
- Rachel Pollock, who teaches science at Virginia Episcopal School. She earned her undergraduate degree in physics and chemistry, with a minor in leadership studies, from Southwestern College in Kansas and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maine.
The eventual winner will receive a stipend of $1,500, as well as an additional $1,000 as an unrestricted grant for her department. Nominees could be any full-time or part-time teacher working at a public or private high school in the City of Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, and Nelson.
The three finalists will be honored and the winner will be announced at the SciFest STAR awards ceremony at the start of the keynote event on March 31 at 7:30 pm.