Joan Ava Gillman is a National Geographic-certified educator who has dedicated more than four decades to inspiring students to achieve their fullest potential. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in education, summa cum laude, from Felician University and earned a Master of Arts in education from New York University in 1982. Ms. Gillman has spent her career teaching science and mathematics at the elementary and middle school levels in public and private schools throughout New York and New Jersey. Following a decade at the Calhoun School, Ms. Gillman accepted her current position at The Browning School in 2018 as a lower and middle school science teacher. She has presented at numerous conferences and symposia, including a 2023 meeting involving the New York State Association of Independent Schools. Further, she is a longtime representative for the Science Teachers Association of New York State and has written extensively on STEM education, including the article “Straw Rockets Are Out of this World!” In recognition of her work in the classroom and on projects with the American Museum of Natural History and others, Ms. Gillman has been featured in national publications and honored with an Urhy Thompson Award, a Teacher of the Year Award and a curriculum development award from Cornell University.