Physics & MathElisa Shapiro

Growing up in the DC area, I thought I was destined to follow my grandfather to a career in NASA as an aerospace engineer, at least I thought that until I spent my first year in a cubicle. Fleeing office life, I returned to school, getting my Master’s at the University of Maryland Space Systems Lab, a research assistantship sometimes referred to as scuba diving with robots. After graduating, I explored more options, engineering and otherwise, including ceramics studio tech, helping perform traffic studies from a small plane, and working in a sign shop. Eventually and accidentally, I landed on teaching and haven’t looked back. I have built or expanded physics, engineering, and fab lab programs in every school community I have been invited into. My favorite part of these programs is being able to introduce real-world challenges, along with resources and tools, that allow my students to explore their own interests. I benefited from the amazing teachers both in and out of the formal classroom, and I try to model my work after the ones that inspired me the most.

Outside of the classroom, I can be found at the pottery studio, on the hockey rink, or paddling the Potomac. My main role in life, though, is catering to the whims of an ancient husky.