Noyce Scholar Profile
Warren Collier
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: BS Chemistry
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Chemistry/ Physics High School
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Teaching Fellow
Name of Noyce institution:
Kennesaw State University
Current academic or teaching status:
MAT-Chem 2013
School and school district:
Peachtree Ridge HS/ Gwinnett County GA
Background:
Warren Collier spent 25 years with Kimberly-Clark using his degrees in chemistry (UNC-CH), chemical engineering (GT) and business (Emory) to develop new materials for disposable personal care absorbent products.
Why do you want to teach:
He enjoyed working with young adults as a volunteer director of a local junior sailing program for 3 years and really enjoyed tutoring middle school and high school students in math and science. Thus, the NOYCE Teaching Fellow Program provided the vehicle to propel his career change to become a secondary science teacher. He hopes to convince the students in his classes that science and math are relevant to their lives and can lead to better understanding of the wonders of the world around them.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
When the students called me Reverend because they said you really love chemistry and can preach all day about it.
I was glad that my passion for chemistry came out for the students and as they said – we finally got used to you and your love of chemistry. But it was also a great reminder that we have to work hard to get our students to love science as much as we do.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
Beyond the obvious financial benefit, the Noyce program has provided me with a support group of like minded people with an enthusiasm for teaching young adults the wonders of science and revealing the mysteries of the world to them.
