Bernadine Okoro
National Science Foundation
Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships
District of Columbia – Grades 9-12, Chemistry and Earth Science
Bernadine Okoro earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Drexel University. She earned her Masters in Arts in Producing Film & Video and Masters in Teaching at American University. For the past five years, she has taught Chemistry, Earth Science and Environmental Science (grades 9-12) at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Washington, DC. She has also worked as a chemical engineer for several companies including Bethlehem Steel, Arco Chemical, Perfecseal, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and BioCore Medical Technologies.
Okoro has participated in the National Geographic Science Literacy Symposium, She is a National Endowment of Humanities (NEH) scholar, and has worked with the National Institutes of Health, (NIH) where she created a tutorial for PubChem, a chemical database used by graduate and medical students to conduct research, for middle and high school students. She was featured in the 2009 Inaugural edition of ‘Who’s Who in Black Washington DC’ for her entrepreneurial pursuits. Okoro has long demonstrated excellence and dedication to teaching worthy of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship.
‘I have been endeavoring to teach my students, these ‘young scientists’ how to make decisions using the scientific method in everyday life situations. I want to encourage them to be critical thinkers, to persist in the face of obstacles and put themselves in positions academically to see new opportunities and success. I want my students to develop logical thinking skills and be creative problem solvers. Through tough love, I encourage them to unlock their ‘inner genius,’ curiosity and creativity for science.’
Okoro hopes to use this year of Fellowship to improve the STEM connections between the chemistry and earth science content, bring engineering experiences into the classroom, and examine issues of scientific literacy, cognitive science, motivation theory, and brain development using the gaming industry to teach science. Okoro will work for the National Science Foundation, with the Directorate of Engineering, Industrial Innovation and Planning.
Bernadine Okoro is also an author, actress, director, producer and certified mediator. Her novel Peculiar Treasures, (www.amazon.com; www.bn.com; www.peculiar-treasures.com) spins a dramatic tale about female relationships and is set in Washington DC. She has performed for many audiences in the DC metropolitan area. She has co-produced and directed two film shorts, ‘Payback’ & ‘High Stakes’ She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated