Earlier this year, Neag School alumna Tamashi Hettiarachchi ’21 (ED), ’22 MA was recognized as a Knowles Teacher Initiative 2023 Teaching Fellow.

Established by Mr. C. Harry Knowles and Mrs. Janet H. Knowles, lifelong philanthropists and STEM educators, the Knowles Teacher Initiative is a nonprofit organization that recognizes and supports a national network of mathematics and science teachers who are collaborative, innovative leaders improving education for all students in the United States.

Hettiarachchi graduated from the Neag School in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry education and a Master of Arts in secondary science education in May 2022. In 2022, she also earned a graduate certificate in educating bilingual learners from UConn. Hettiarachchi is in her second year of teaching high school chemistry at Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Hettiarachchi says she was inspired by her high school chemistry teacher, George Householder, to pursue chemistry education in college. Householder also encouraged Hettiarachchi to apply for the Knowles Fellowship.

“I feel that chemistry is crucial to understanding how the world works,” Hettiarachchi says. “Teaching chemistry presents a unique challenge of making the invisible visible to our students. This requires me to think creatively, which I enjoy.”

Hettiarachchi admires the Knowles Teachers Initiative’s emphasis on science. “I appreciate how Knowles has its teachers reflect on what it means to do and engage in science,” she says. “Science has a history of being male-dominated and Eurocentric, and therefore, only certain ways of knowing and doing have been highlighted. Knowles pushes us to recognize the unique ways that students show up as scientists. Moreover, Knowles has us engage in practitioner inquiry regularly. The structure Knowles provides holds me accountable in my reflections and has me intentionally improve my practice.”

Teachers who are recognized as Knowles Fellows benefit from financial support to purchase classroom materials and professional development opportunities. Fellows can also receive grants to develop activities that create impact beyond their classrooms. Knowles Fellows are also welcomed into a network of more than 500 teachers who are committed to improving education.

The experiences and accomplishments I cherish most have stemmed from opportunities with these incredible [Neag School] professors. These mentors expanded my thinking and ultimately made me into the teacher I am today. — Tamashi Hettiarachchi

“As a new teacher, having the support that Knowles provides financially, professionally, and personally has been incredibly valuable,” Hettiarachchi says. “I can connect with like-minded early-career educators facing similar challenges through Knowles. Having access to this support system is vital to Knowles’ long-term goal of sustaining and furthering the teaching profession.”

Hettiarachchi credits the mentorship and hands-on experience she received at the Neag School for much of her success thus far: “I was honored to learn from and work alongside leaders in the education field, who are pushing for more just and equitable education for students. To name a few, Dr. Grace Player, Dr. Todd Campbell, and Dr. Danielle Filipiak truly shaped my experience at Neag.”

“Even before being admitted to UConn, Tamashi was caring, committed, and exceptional,” says Todd Campbell, professor and head of Neag School’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. “We collaborated while she was a high school student and throughout her undergraduate and graduate programs. She was a lead author for a peer-reviewed publication and a professional development designer and leader during her time at Neag. To this day, we are still connected, as we collaborated on an NSF-funded justice-centered science teaching project, and I continue to learn from her as an early career teacher and Knowles Teaching Fellow.”

“During my time in the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s teacher education program, I participated in curriculum creation, hosted a professional development, and worked with partner organizations to expand environmental education for the public,” Hettiarachchi says.

“Tamashi has always been a curious, thoughtful educator who commits herself to issues of justice with an incredible amount of care and reflection,” says Danielle Filipiak, an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at the Neag School. “We have been so lucky to have her as a student at Neag, and I look forward to learning from her as she continues to engage in transformative and powerful work as a teacher.”

“The experiences and accomplishments I cherish most have stemmed from opportunities with these incredible professors,” Hettiarachchi says. “These mentors expanded my thinking and ultimately made me into the teacher I am today.”

To learn more about the UConn Neag School of Education, visit education.uconn.edu and follow the Neag School on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.