WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Monday named 97 math and science teachers to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The awards, which are given annually to elementary and secondary teachers, will be presented this month in Washington, the White House said. The winners each receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.
"America's success in the 21st century depends on our ability to educate our children, give our workers the skills they need, and embrace technological change," Obama said in a statement. "That starts with the men and women in front of our classrooms. These teachers are the best of the best, and they stand as excellent examples of the kind of leadership we need in order to train the next generation of innovators and help this country get ahead."
The winners are:
-- Alabama: Suzanne Culbreth, Birmingham; Chanda Davis, Huntsville
-- Alaska: Stephanie Cronin, Seward; Joanna Hubbard, Anchorage
-- Arizona: Michael Frank, Tucson
Arkansas: Stephanie Muckelberg, Bald Knob; Vickie Logan, Little Rock
-- California: Kentaro Iwasaki, San Francsico; Dean Baird, Sacramento
-- Colorado: Andrea Wiseman, Denver; Amy Hanson, Denver
-- Connecticut: Karen Thomas, Westport; Tyler Hoxley, East Hartford
-- Delaware: Mary Pinkston, Wilmington; Michael Kaufmann, Wilmington
-- Department of Defense Education Activity: Spencer Bean, Baumholder, Germany
-- District of Columbia: Sarah Bax; William Wallace
-- Florida: Kathleen Jones, Panama City Beach; Stephen Fannin, Tallahassee
-- Georgia: Carol Taylor, Fayetteville; Kelly Stewart, Atlanta
-- Hawaii: Charles Souza, Jr., Honolulu; Julia Segawa, Honolulu
-- Idaho: Katie Pemberton, Coeur d'Alene; James Jordan, Boise
-- Illinois: Peter DeCraene, Evanston; David Bonner, Darien
-- Indiana: Natalie Schneider, Indianapolis; Stacy McCormack, Mishawaka
-- Iowa: Karla Digmann, Dubuque; Jody Stone, Cedar Falls
-- Kansas: Angela Miller, Manhattan; Dennis Burkett, Jr., Olathe
-- Kentucky: Andrea Higdon, Crestwood; Joshua Underwood, Mount Olivet
-- Louisiana: Alison Drake, New Orleans; Anna Cole, Raceland
-- Maine: Kenneth Vencile, Rockport
-- Maryland: Barry Hopkins, Severna Park
-- Massachusetts: Kathleen Erickson, Great Barrington; Naomi Volain, Springfield
-- Michigan: Donald Pata, Grosse Pointe Woods
-- Minnesota: Donna Forbes, Mahtomedi; Jamin McKenzie, St. Paul
-- Mississippi: Jennifer Wilson, Flowood; Lucy McKone, Brookhaven
-- Missouri: Jennifer Baker, Hazelwood; Robert Becker, Kirkwood
-- Montana: Tammy Johnson, Stevensville; Carol Pleninger, Havre
-- Nebraska: David Hartman, Lincoln; Joan Christen, Beatrice
-- Nevada: Gary Mayers, Las Vegas
-- New Hampshire: Gina Bergskaug, Hollis
-- New Jersey: John McAllen III, Point Pleasant; Rebecca McLelland-Crawley, Perth Amboy
-- New York: Elisabeth Jaffe, New York; Francesco Neal-Noschese, Cross River
-- North Carolina: Nancy Trollinger, Marion; Eric Grunden, Raleigh
-- North Dakota: Ila LaChapelle, Walhalla
-- Ohio: Carole Morbitzer, Columbus; Tami Fitzgerald, Zanesville
-- Oklahoma: Ashley Moody, McLoud; Rebecca Morales, Broken Arrow
-- Oregon: Mary Koike, Newport
-- Pennsylvania: Katherine Schwang, Carlisle; Richard Schmidt, Fort Washington
-- Puerto Rico: Jaime Abreu Ramos, San Juan; Judith Martínez, Caguas
-- Rhode Island: Brian Nelson, Wakefield; David Mather, Warwick
-- South Carolina: Matthew Owens, Columbia; Holly Sullivan, Lugoff
-- South Dakota: Deborah Snook, Philip; Paul Kuhlman, Avon
-- Tennessee: Phyllis Hillis, Oak Ridge; Gail Schulte, Smyrna
-- Texas: Dixie Ross, Pflugerville; Joy Killough, Austin
-- U.S. Territories: Beatriz Camacho, Guam; Katherine Baker, Virgin Islands
-- Utah: Vivian Shell, Salt Lake City; James Larson, Salt Lake City
-- Vermont: Cathy Estes, Thetford; Elizabeth Mirra, Windsor
-- Virginia: Kimberly Riddle, Fredericksburg; Jacqueline Curley, Sterling
-- Washington: Nathan Shields, Vancouver; Robert Ettinger, Seattle
-- West Virginia: Neil Reger, Buckhannon; Angela McDaniel, Moatsville
-- Wisconsin: Michael Tamblyn, Whitewater; Kara Pezzi, Appleton
-- Wyoming: Jayne Wingate, Cheyenne; Chad Sharpe, Casper
