The College of Science is excited to celebrate our Spring 2020 Honors Award recipients for UNT's Teach North Texas.

Outstanding Master Teacher Fellow: Nancy Joycutty

As a graduate of the Chemistry department here at UNT, Nancy taught Chemistry at the secondary level and is now completing the final requirements of her Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She works tirelessly to ensure TNT students are receiving academic support. Nancy wears many hats within TNT, but she is definitely the heart of the TNT workroom and will be missed terribly when she is gone.

"During my undergrad, I received my BA in Chemistry along with a minor in Secondary Education through Teach North Texas, but I wanted to learn more about Chemistry and ways to effectively teach it at the high school and college level. This interest is what ultimately led me to my current degree and the concentrations that I focus in, which are Chemistry, Higher Education, and Educational Psychology. As I've been taking these various courses, I was inspired to earn 2 additional graduate certificates which I feel will help me be a more well-rounded educator. Overall, I have really enjoyed gaining more insights into the different components learning that teachers and professors take into consideration when teaching the students in their class."

Outstanding Undergraduate in Secondary Mathematics Teaching: Chris Brown

Chris Brown has been a member of Teach North Texas since 2016. Chris is double-majoring in both Mathematics and Economics. He is currently completing his Apprentice Teaching semester in Denton ISD with Teacher Certification in 7-12 Math and Physics. Chris has been an active member of TNT. He has served as a TNT College of Science Ambassador as well as an officer with TNT's student organization Talon Teach. Chris can always be counted on to help others with lesson plans or homework problems; always with a smile.

"I am the youngest of 5 siblings and I am far removed by age from the rest of them. When my eldest sister was in high school and I was in elementary school, she went through this phase where she thought she wanted to become a teacher. So, a friend and I became her math students! Long story short, I love my sister so much and I wanted to make her happy and spend time with her, so I practiced and listened as much as my brain could handle. After a while, I started to fall more in love with math and it became a passion that I will always carry with me. It sounds cliché, but thinking about math has always been associated with the bond between my sister and I."

Outstanding Undergraduate in Secondary Science Teaching: Brent Piehler

Brent Piehler graduated from UNT this past fall as a Chemistry major with a remarkable 4.0 gpa. Brent is currently in his first semester of teaching at Chisholm Trail High School in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD. Brent was an active member and officer of UNT's Student ACS Chapter, and worked to promote teaching as a career. Brent also served as a TNT Practice Coach where he mentored and assisted lower-level TNT students with lesson-plan design and implementation.

We invite all members of the UNT community to follow along as we celebrate the academic accomplishments of our students on Twitter via @UNTscience or #COSHonors2020!

Many have asked how they can help us support our community during these challenging times, so the university created a fund to help students who have immediate and pressing needs related to COVID-19. You can make a gift to the fund at http://one.unt.edu/untcares.

If you're a UNT student who needs financial support, apply here: https://www.unt.edu/staygreen