“Every person in this room remembers a teacher or mentor that made a difference in their lives,” said President Barack Obama in January to a select White House gathering that included Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Cal State Northridge biologist Steven Oppenheimer and 21 of his math and science colleagues from around the country.

President Obama and the distinguished assembly were in the Blue Room to honor the mathematicians and scientists, winners of the 2009 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

All those present had experienced moments, said the president, when “an educator showed them something about the world—or something about themselves—that changed their lives…Scientists and engineers are made in those moments; doctors are made in those moments; teachers are made in those moments—those small interactions.”

For Oppenheimer, director of Cal State Northridge’s Center for Cancer and Developmental Biology, the proud moment illuminated his mentoring of some 200 long-term student researchers—many of them women or underrepresented minorities—during his 38-year CSUN career. But it was the only time he actually sat still long enough to enjoy the honor.

The White House ceremony capped a four-day, bumper-to-fender schedule of meetings for Oppenheimer and his fellow honorees. In addition to a brief session with President Obama preceding the Blue Room ceremony, they met with the National Science Board, with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and with the Secretary of Education.

Oppenheimer—no shrinking violet when it comes to expressing his opinion—joined his colleagues in advocating for the improvement of math and science education in the United States. At a meeting led by Education Secretary Duncan, the CSUN researcher pushed hard for “every elementary school teacher getting a quality research experience with a dedicated scientist mentor who cares.” His remarks struck a chord, earning him a standing ovation from 100 award-winning K-5 teachers attending the meeting.

The opportunity to interact with White House education advisors whose charge was “to make a difference” in the work to which he has dedicated his life “was one of the most worthwhile experiences I’ve ever had,” Oppenheimer said. “I had never had that opportunity.”

Underscoring President Obama’s distress at reports that American 15-year-olds rank 21st in science and 25th in math worldwide, the professor pointed to a problem he has observed at close range during his long career in education. “The majority of elementary school teachers may be afraid of science and math,” said Oppenheimer, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “When you have youngsters starting off taught by teachers who are afraid of these disciplines, you have a recipe for disaster.”

— Brenda Roberts

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