NABT Announces Winners of the 2025 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award

July 8, 2025 | by jrpNABT1938

The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) is proud to announce the recipients of this year's Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA).

Established in 1962, the OBTA is one of the most prestigious honors that NABT bestows upon biology teachers. Each year, the program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12) in each of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Canadian Provinces and Territories, and U.S. overseas territories.

This year, NABT will be honoring 27 OBTAs. These teachers completed a rigorous application process to demonstrate excellence in the classroom, devotion to their students, and a degree of professionalism that their colleagues recognize as truly "outstanding." They will join the ranks of over 2,500 teachers who have been recognized with this lifetime award.

"I offer a heartfelt congratulations to all the incredible educators who are this year's recipients of the National Association of Biology Teachers' Outstanding Biology Teacher Award! Your unwavering dedication, innovative teaching, and profound impact on students have been recognized by your peers because you set a remarkable standard for our profession," said Dr. Kirstin Milks, NABT President and 2018 OBTA recipient. We celebrate your commitment to fostering a love for biology and shaping the future through your work. Thank you for your exceptional contributions to life science education!"

A full listing of the 2025 Outstanding Biology Teacher Awardees is below and can be downloaded here. More information about the awardees will be shared in the coming months.

Region I (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

Tonya Prentice
Tremont Consolidated School
Bass Harbor, ME

Kaitlin Dinet
Abbott Lawrence Academy
Lawrence, MA

Peter Dumont
Newfound High School
Bristol, NH

Region II (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA)

Kimberly Burton
Archbishop Curley High School
Baltimore, MD

Madelyn Lin
William Cullen Bryant High School
Long Island City, NY

Laura Himler
Upper Merion Area High School
King of Prussia, PA

Kirsten Salonga
Justice High School
Falls Church, VA

Stefanie Ribecca
Hopwell Valley Central High School
Pennington, NJ

Region III (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

Hannah Shepherd
New Washington Middle/High School
New Washington, IN

Roger Blevins
Huron High School
Huron, OH

Shane Cullian
Badger High School
Lake Geneva, WI

Region IV (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)

Gregory Barord
Central Campus
Des Moines, IA

Robin Dennis
Olathe South High School
Olathe, KS

Jessica Popescu
Herndon Career Center
Raytown, MO

Region V (KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Benjamin Davis
Robbinsville High School
Robbinsville, NC

Richard McKown
Huntington High School
Huntington, WV

Region VI (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, PR)

Myra Cowan
Mason County High School
Maysville, KY

Suzanne Mathew
Hoover High School
Hoover, AL

Brittany Moss
Harris County High School
Hamilton, GA

Robin Cobb
Eva Legard
Baton Rouge, LA

Megan Brooks
West Harrison High School
Gulfport, Mississippi

Region VII (AZ, AR, NM, OK, TX)

Cristi Sims
Arizona College Prep High School
Chandler, AZ

Geizi Dejka
San Juan College High School
Farmington, NM

Laura Robinette Minor
St. Michael's Prep
Austin, TX

Region VIII (CO, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY)

Jean Placko
Bozeman High School
Bozeman, MT

Erin Capra
West High School
Salt Lake City, UT

Deborah Jensen
Rock Springs High School
Rock Springs, WY

The 2025 OBTAs will be honored during a special presentation at the NABT Professional Development Conference in St. Louis on November 1st.

NABT would also like to thank our amazing OBTA Directors, whose ongoing commitment to this program makes the award possible.

Nominations for the 2026 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) are currently being accepted. Honor an outstanding teacher in your state or province by nominating them today at NABT Awards Nominations.

The Outstanding Biology Teacher Award is proudly sponsored by Carolina. Special consideration is also provided by Bio-Rad Laboratories, the Botanical Society of America, and mini PCR.