Patricia Shiebler '22 MAT and Sarosha Hemani '21 MAT were chosen by the Knowles Teacher Initiative as members of its 2022 Cohort of Teaching Fellows. This year, 29 promising high school mathematics and science teachers who are just beginning their careers were awarded Knowles Teaching Fellowships in support of their efforts to develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom.

Patricia is a first-year teacher at Paul Cuffee Upper School in Providence, Rhode Island during the 2022- 2023 school year. She is committed to teaching physics to high school students in the U.S. Patricia received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics with minors in math and education in 2021 from Hamilton College. She recently received her Master of Arts in Teaching in secondary science education from Brown University. During her summers, Patricia worked as a teaching assistant through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She also worked as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate physics class and taught a two-week online course centered around climate justice through Brown Summer High School. 

Sarosha is a second-year teacher at Central Falls High School in Central Falls, Rhode Island during the 2022- 2023 school year. She is committed to teaching science to high school students in the U.S. Sarosha received a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience in 2019 from Trinity University. She recently received her Master of Arts in Teaching in secondary science education from Brown University. Before becoming a teacher, Sarosha worked in a neurobiology lab, where she used electrophysiology and optogenetics to study the effects of cocaine on the brain. She also worked as a private tutor for six years and a homeschool teacher for two years, where she taught all school levels/subjects.

The Knowles Teacher Initiative supports a national network of mathematics and science teachers who are collaborative, innovative leaders improving education for all students in the United States. The Knowles Teaching Fellowship is an intensive and cohesive, five-year program that supports early-career, high school mathematics and science teachers in their efforts to develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom. Through the program, Knowles Fellows have access to grants for expenses associated with purchasing classroom materials, engaging in professional development, and spearheading leadership activities that have an impact beyond their own classrooms. Fellows also benefit from access to stipends, mentoring and coaching from experienced teachers and teacher educators, and membership in a nationwide community of more than 450 teachers who are committed to improving education.