Northport resident selected as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow
Last month, sixteen K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers from across the United States were named 2023-2024 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows (AEF). Among them was Northport resident, scientist and educator at Brentwood High School, Dr. Rebecca Grella.
Selected fellows will spend eleven months serving in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office in Washington, D.C., engaged in the national STEM education arena. Grella and the other fellows will apply their extensive knowledge and classroom experiences to national education programs and education policy efforts. Past fellows have contributed to national educational efforts by designing new elements of STEM programs, initiating collaborations with partnerships with federal agencies, drafting legislation and advising on policies that seek to improve K-12 education in the United States, and establishing national and regional programs centered on school reform and teacher preparation in STEM.
The AEF Program is celebrating its 33rd year of operation and is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, in collaboration with sponsoring agencies including the Library of Congress, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, among others.
“I am elated and grateful for this incredible opportunity,” Grella told the Journal. “It will be incredible to represent Long Island as a scientist and STEM educator. I am eager to spend a year in DC working with the Department of Defense (DoD) STEM and learning from an incredible group of fellows.”
During her tenure, Grella, who has been teaching in Brentwood since 2002, developed a rigorous environmentally based science research program that garnered national recognition. Her students have attended the White House Science Fair and have been invited to The Ellen Show to display their accomplishments. Just this past spring, Grella’s student, Kevin Leal, claimed first prize in the Earth and Environmental category at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair. His project, entitled “Cost Effective Air Quality Monitoring Using Readily Available Programming Interfaces,” earned him the high honor, as well as several other forms of recognition including a Letter of Distinction from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Prior to teaching in Brentwood, Grella studied and completed a Masters in Applied Conservation in the rainforests of Madagascar. Her work in Madagascar allowed her to become a certified New York State teacher in chemistry, biology and general science. Today, Grella is a Ph.D. trained ecology and evolutionary biologist from Stony Brook University, and an invasive species biologist.
In addition to her work as a high school educator, Grella works with Suffolk County government on environmental issues and is currently the co-principal investigator on a Suffolk County Legislative Grant called “Scientists and Stewards Assessing Nitrogen Mitigation.”
“I aim to make the Northport community and Brentwood, my district, proud,” Grella said. “I will apply my skills from Brentwood and Stony Brook to inform federal STEM education efforts, and sharpen my saw and garner some incredible resources for the exciting years to come.”
The 2023-2024 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows are as follows:
Michele Adams: Martinsburg, WV
Kelsey Beeghly: Altamonte Springs, FL
Ashley Benitez-Smith: Frederick, MD
Jacquelyn Freeman: Waldorf, MD
Lachanda Garrison: Ellijay, GA
Rebecca Grella: Northport, NY
Dorothy Holley: Raleigh, NC
Pamela Joslyn: Muscatine, IA
Stacie Marvin: Sparrows Point, MD
Nomura Reed: Hagerstowm, MD
Sarah Slack: Brooklyn, NY
Michael Stewart: Manassas, VA
Amy Szczepanski: Brooklyn, NY
Melissa Thompson: Stevensville, MD
Samantha Willsey: Bremen, IN
Denise Weight: Myrtle Beach, SC
