November 5, 2019

Gretchen Peterson, an adjunct faculty member in Mayville State’s Division of Science and Mathematics and Division of Teacher Education, is a recipient of the 2018 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Peterson teaches Mathematics for Elementary Teachers at Mayville State. In addition to her duties at Mayville State, she is a mathematics teacher at Liberty Middle School in West Fargo, N.D. Peterson traveled to Washington D.C. and received her award on Oct. 15, 2019.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching. The Awards were established by Congress in 1983. The President may recognize up to 108 exemplary teachers each year.

Awards are given to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, or the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands).

The award recognizes those teachers have both deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable students to be successful in those areas. Since the program's inception, more than 4,800 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.

Awardees reflect the expertise and dedication of the Nation's teaching corps, and they demonstrate the positive impact of excellent teachers on student achievement. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

“The Division of Science and Math is extremely proud of the hard work that Peterson has put into her work, her dedication to teaching, and her investment in our students,” said Dr. Joseph Mehus, chair of the MSU Division of Science and Mathematics.