Richard Jones Billings, MT | 7-12, Science, 1996

Richard "Rick" Jones has been an educator for over 30 years, spending the last 11 teaching Science Methods, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Geology at the University of Hawaii West Oahu. He previously taught middle school and high school in Billings, MT, and Lihue, HI. He was awarded for secondary science in 1996 while teaching at Billings Senior High School. Rick's love of learning and teaching focuses on helping students discover that science is a verb as well as the noun they often find in the textbook. He incorporates 3D printing and design, coding, robotics, and drone piloting into his science and science methods courses, where students experience the project-based science and science teaching steeped in the Three Dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. Additionally, Rick is honored to bring one of his own mentors, Art Kimura, 1983 Presidential Awardee, in to present engaging hands-on/minds-on science to his students. Always a strong advocate for science education, Rick has held multiple leadership roles at both state and national teaching associations. Serving as President of the MSTA (Montana), President of the HaSTA (Hawaii), President of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, and NSTA District XV and District XVI Director. Rick earned a B.S. in geology, a B.S. in secondary science education, and an M.S. in natural science from The University of Wyoming and his Ed.D. in science education from Montana State University-Bozeman. He was one of the first two National Board Certified Adolescence and Young Adulthood science teachers in Montana and was recognized by Montana State University Billings for Excellence in Teaching and more recently by the University of Hawaii as a Board of Regents Award of Excellence in Teaching Medal Awardee.

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