Noyce Scholar Profile
Kimberly Lykens
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, Grades 7-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Wittenberg University
Current academic or teaching status:
Junior
School and school district:
Springfield, OH
Background:
I am a Columbus, OH native who enjoys reading, photography, and playing guitar in my free time.
Why do you want to teach:
I came into Wittenberg knowing for sure that I wanted to study biology, yet where this major would lead me remained a mystery until the end of my first year. My moment of realization arrived during a class I took on the philosophy of education. I knew right away that I had the personality, energy, and passion not only to become a teacher, but to also become an educator of a subject I so thoroughly enjoy. This led me to the declaration of my minor in education and ultimately started me on the path to become a high school biology teacher.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I have not had much experience in the classroom at this level of my education, but every moment I get to help a student better understand the concept of biology is meaningful in my eyes.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Robert Noyce Program has given me the opportunity to receive quality professional development as a pre-service teacher. This past summer, I spent three months in Richland, WA working for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) doing microbiology research. In addition to the research, I received professional development opportunities I can use in my first years of teaching. The knowledge and experience I had at PNNL put me well above my peers in my content area and gave me an understanding on how to teach the difficult subject of biology.
