Wednesday, Aug 7, 2019
David Chapman '19 is part of the inaugural Pennsylvania class of Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
David Chapman '19, who received a bachelor's in health sciences from Rider University, has been selected as a teaching fellow by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. He is one of 24 recruits of the inaugural class of the foundation's Pennsylvania Teaching Fellows.
The program recruits both recent graduates and career changers with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math and prepares them to teach in high-need secondary schools. In doing so, the program prepares top-quality educators for many of the state’s most underserved public schools.
“The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship helps build a more effective teacher workforce while expanding the pipeline of individuals considering a career in education,” says the foundation's president, Rajiv Vinnakota.
Fellows each receive $32,000 to complete a master’s program and commit to teaching for three years. Chapman will begin a program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Other fellows will take part in programs at Duquesne University and West Chester University.
Over three years, the participating Pennsylvania universities will enroll 108 fellows. In total, more than 1,200 teachers have been prepared through the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program, which operates in five other states in addition to Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania is a national leader for investing in science and technology education, and we need more great STEM teachers,” says Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. “These fellows will help expand quality STEM learning and prepare generations of students for high-growth fields that Pennsylvania needs."
Rider's undergraduate program in health sciences is designed to provide students a solid educational foundation in the biological sciences, social sciences and humanities as they relate to the health care field. The curriculum combines courses in biology, human anatomy and chemistry, with additional coursework in health care administration, epidemiology, psychology and sociology.