Two UIC women recognized with US Presidential awards

A UIC professor and a UIC doctoral student recently received honors from the U.S. government for math and science teaching and for achievements as early-career scientists.
President Biden announced the awards on Jan. 13 and 14, during his final week in office.
Professor Laura Schaposnik and doctoral student Nina Hike both work in STEM fields, Schaposnik as a professor of mathematics and Hike as a chemistry teacher. And for both, community outreach, mentoring and lessons that relate directly to students’ lives are common threads.
Nina Hike, UIC doctoral student and Chicago teacher
Nina Hike, a doctoral student in the UIC College of Education, was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The award, announced by Biden on Jan. 13, is the nation’s highest honor from the U.S. government for science and math teachers and honors the vital role America’s teachers and mentors play in shaping the next generation of leaders in science fields, including scientists, engineers, explorers and innovators, the White House said.
Hike was one of more than 300 teachers nationally who were selected to receive the award. Since Congress established the award in 1995, teachers from all 50 U.S. states and U.S. territories have received it. Awardees “demonstrate deep content knowledge and an ability to adapt to a broad range of learners and teaching environments,” the White House said in announcing the awards. “Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving STEM education.”
“I am always trying to do high-caliber assignments with my students and find things that I don’t know the answers to,” said Hike, a chemistry teacher at George Westinghouse College Prep in Chicago and a doctoral candidate in the Mathematics and Science Education PhD program. “I am always learning with the students.”
Hike brings exceptional teaching into her classroom with creative units and lessons that relate to students’ lives. One unit in her classes focuses on air, water and soil pollution in Chicago, and it also teaches students about environmental justice. For another unit, she partnered with DePaul University and NASA to teach students about high-altitude ballooning. She also teaches a unit about Dr. Charles R. Drew’s contributions to blood banking, which inspired her to initiate a school and Chicago Teachers Union blood drive to raise awareness about sickle cell disease treatments.

Hike was nominated by UIC College of Education Curriculum and Instruction Department Chair Maria Varelas.
“Nina Hike’s footprint in Chicagoland and beyond is so marvelously extensive, valuable and significant,” Varelas said. “Chicago has been fortunate to have had a science teacher like Nina Hike with such consequential impact on so many lives for so many years.”
Hike completed a rigorous application process for the Presidential Award. She submitted a videotaped chemistry lesson and narrative showing her science teaching practices and knowledge, instructional strategies, assessments, lesson delivery and reflection. The application process also required evidence of student success in external assessments and Hike’s success in designing and implementing professional developments from her teaching career at Marie Curie High School and George Westinghouse College Prep.
Hike earned her undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Illinois Chicago, where she credits Professor Donald Wink for his early and ongoing support of her work in chemistry education.
Laura Schaposnik, UIC professor
Laura Schaposnik received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor from the U.S. government for outstanding scientists and engineers starting their independent careers, according to the White House. The award, given this year to almost 400 scientists and engineers, recognizes exceptional early-career researchers for their achievements and potential to advance science and engineering.

Shaposnik, a professor of mathematics, said receiving the award was not just an honor, but a motivator as well.
“It highlights the value of collaboration and mentorship, which have been central to my work, and opens doors for new opportunities to expand projects, attract funding and strengthen international partnerships.”
Over the past decade, Shaposnik has led nearly 100 community outreach initiatives, partnering with departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to make mathematics accessible to diverse audiences.
“Outreach has been a cornerstone of my career, and I’m proud of the initiatives I’ve developed to share the beauty of mathematics,” she said.
A recent example is her collaboration with College of Liberal Arts and Science departments to host Quantum Theory at the Extremes, a two-day interdisciplinary workshop fostering dialogue among researchers, students and faculty.
Shaposnik’s work in the classroom is driven by her dedication to empowering students.
“Giving back to the community means creating opportunities for others to see the beauty and utility of mathematics, just as my teachers did for me,” she said. Through mentoring and outreach programs, Shaposnik inspires her students to think critically and embrace curiosity.
“Educators play a vital role in fostering an informed community,” she said. “Teaching is as much an act of learning as it is of giving, and it remains one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.”
Written by Tim Lemberger and Jonathan Cecero