A Group of the Nation’s Most Accomplished STEM Teachers Selected as Albert Einstein Educator Fellows

Fourteen teachers representing 10 states have been selected to apply their classroom experience to federal, congressional, and executive branch offices.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fourteen K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers from across the United States have been named 2026-2027 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows. Selected Fellows will spend eleven months serving in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office in Washington, DC, engaged in the national STEM education arena.

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship 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 2026-2027 Einstein Fellows are as follows:

Rachell Ashley	Brooklyn, NY
Daniel Bernhardt	Arlington, VA
Natasja Brown	Ocean Springs, MS
Diana De Paula	Brooklyn, NY
Benjamin Dickman	New York, NY
Katy Dornbos	Lincoln, NE
Candace Jackson	Spring, TX
Tucker Marsing	Murray, UT
Kwesi Matthews	Redford, MI
Bridget Matamoros-Mota	Ponder, TX
Marc Pardee	Oak Island, NC
Kirsten Salonga	Alexandria, VA
Michael Smith	Chagrin Falls, OH
Shane Wines	Lusby, MD

The 2026-2027 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 36th 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 2026-2027 Einstein Fellows include the DOE, the U.S. Department of War, the Library of Congress, and the US Geological Survey. In addition to sponsoring placements at DOE headquarters, DOE sponsors up to eight placements in U.S. Congressional offices.

Applications will open on August 3, 2026, for the 2027-2028 cohort. Additional information about the program, including eligibility requirements, program benefits, application requirements and access to the online application system may be found at https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is a world-class DOE institute designed to strengthen a scientific workforce; promote the integrity of scientific research through peer review; provide 24/7 medical response to radiation accidents; evaluate human health data to protect workers from occupational hazards; and conduct independent environmental cleanup assessments.

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