A group of the nation’s most accomplished STEM teachers selected as Albert Einstein Educator Fellows

Fifteen K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers from across the United States have been named 2025-2026 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows. Selected Fellows will spend eleven months serving in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office in Washington, D.C., engaged in the national STEM education arena.

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to apply their extensive classroom knowledge and experiences to their host offices to inform federal STEM education efforts.

The 2025-2026 Einstein Fellows are:

• Rachell Ashley, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Natasja Brown, Ocean Springs, Miss.
• Phillip Cook, Valparaiso, Ind.
• Diana De Paula, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Candace Jackson, Spring, Texas
• Kyle Kuhlers, Urbana, Iowa
• Michael Lowry, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Kwesi Matthews, Redford, Mich.
• Robert Mayne, North Stonington, Conn.
• Michael Smith, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
• Lora Taylor, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• John Tietjen, Lebanon, N.H.
• Sequoyah Wharton, Selden, N.Y.
• Shane Wines, Lusby, Md.
• Natalie Woods, Idaho Falls, Idaho

The 2025-2026 Einstein Fellows come from K-12 schools across the country and represent a wide variety of teaching backgrounds—with expertise in science, engineering, computer science and mathematics. Federal agencies and U.S. Congressional Offices will benefit from Fellows’ real-world experiences as educators. In return, Einstein Fellows will gain understanding of the role of the Federal Government in the U.S. education enterprise, knowledge of resources available to students and educators, and broader perspectives on national education issues that can be applied to the classroom or to leadership positions in their districts or elsewhere.

The AEF Program, now celebrating its 35th year of operation, is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists in collaboration with the sponsoring agencies and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). 

Sponsoring agencies for the 2025-2026 Einstein Fellows include DOE, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Department of Defense. In addition to sponsoring placements at DOE headquarters, DOE sponsors eight placements in U.S. Congressional offices.

Applications will open on August 8, 2025, for the 2026-2027 cohort. Additional information about the program, including eligibility requirements, program benefits, application requirements and access to the online application system may be found on the AEF website.