Tucson high school student's artwork to be displayed at U.S. Capitol

The artwork of an Empire High School junior will be on display at the U.S. Capitol.

Rebecca Burton was awarded first place in the 2018 Congressional Art Competition for her watercolor entitled “Sister.”

Burton’s piece took top honors out of 44 submissions from students at 10 high schools around Congressional District 2. Her work will be on display until next spring and she will be invited to Washington, D.C., to attend a reception with other congressional district winners.

Second place went to Michael Fisher, a senior at City High School for his art piece, “Eye,” in pen and ink. Camyrn Malozsak, a junior at Walden Grove High School, was awarded third place for her photograph “Biz-B.” Their artwork will be displayed in the Rep Martha McSally’s Tucson and Sierra Vista offices, respectively.

Three other pieces received honorable mention: “Silent Voices,” a pencil drawing by freshman Mykaela Salvacion of Basis Oro Valley; “What Lies Beneath,” a photograph by senior David Bertoldo of Walden Grove High School; and “Rhab Alharb,” an oil painting by Joy M. Mona, a senior from Ironwood Ridge High School.

McSally also announced the winner of the “People’s Choice” award, selected by constituents who voted for their favorite submission on McSally’s Facebook page. The artwork that received the most votes was “Hummingbird” — a photograph by Jacqueline Maldonado, a sophomore at Flowing Wells High School. “Hummingbird” will be displayed in McSally’s office in Washington, D.C.

Teacher honored for increasing student interest in STEM fields

Jennifer Maxwell, a science teacher at Emily Gray Jr. High School, is the recipient of the 2018 Women and Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in K-12 Education.

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The award honors a K-12 educator who has actively worked to increase student interest and diversity in STEM fields in either formal or informal educational settings.

Maxwell is a participant in the Teacher Leader Program cohort for the Pima County STEMAZing Project. Maxwell has designed and co-facilitated a STEM workshop and mentored new participants in the program to design and facilitate their own workshops.

Sixth-grade teacher Anderson

to do research in the Arctic

Svea Anderson, a sixth-grade teacher at Agua Caliente Elementary School, will participate as a research team member in an authentic scientific expedition in the Arctic.

Anderson will join other K-12 teachers who will be working in research locations from the Arctic Ocean to Antarctica, as part of a program that allows teachers to experience first-hand what it is like to conduct scientific research in some of the most remote locations on Earth.

Anderson will be in the Arctic for four weeks conducting research on tundra ecology.

The PolarTREC program works closely with scientists as a pathway to improving science education.