Alumnae Cathy Murphy, Helen Yan Garner National Recognition

Cathy Murphy
Cathy Murphy
Helen Yan
Helen Yan

Cathy Murphy (Ph.D. ’90, Ellis) has been elected as one of 84 new members of the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1863, National Academy membership signifies that an individual has attained “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.” This is among the highest honors a scientist can receive. Murphy serves as Peter C. and Gretchen Miller Markunas Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Learn more about research in the Murphy group.

Helen (Dauer) Yan (M.S. ’11) is among the 34 high school STEM teachers named 2015 Knowles Science Teaching Fellows. The comprehensive five-year professional development program is designed to provide beginning high school mathematics and science teachers with the support needed to help them develop into master teachers. The fellows receive stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials, professional development and coaching from a staff of experienced teachers, and support from a national network of STEM teachers. As a graduate student at UW-Madison, Yan served as a teaching assistant for introductory chemistry courses. She later worked as a tutor in the Chemistry Learning Center. Her work in the CLC gave her the opportunity to see how a student’s high school science experience has the potential to impact his or her success in college science courses. This realization led her to pursue teaching high school science as a profession, she says.