Biology students had a visitor on Friday from Myron Blosser, STEM teacher and co-director of Harrisonburg High School Governor’s STEM Academy. Blosser came to us from Virginia to give a talk on a recent research undertaking on lead in deer population in the heart and lungs after they have been shot, as well as biological magnification. During his visit, Biology students were selected to be a part of an electrophoresis lab using techniques used in forensic investigations to solve actual crime! Carrie Smith, Marine Bio teacher, described his visit, “Myron Blosser brought a gel electrophoresis lab that dealt with the Marine Bio class comparing fish DNA from confiscated fish from a possible poacher, with DNA from fish in an unprotected river and a protected river. Their goal was to find out if the fisherman was guilty or not of poaching illegal fish simply by comparing DNA. They used the same technique as forensic science does to solve a crime.”
Mr. Blosser has an impressive list of accomplishments in his 35 year career as an educator. WL-S is grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to such an esteemed educator and to be a part of a really interesting lab project! Listed below are just a few of Blosser’s many accomplishments.
Awards/Recognition:
• 1993 Biology Teacher of the Year, Virginia Association of Science Teachers
• 1994 Teacher of the Year, Rockingham / Harrisonburg Chapter, American Association of University
Women
• 1995 Awarded an Eisenhower Mini Grant for the 1995 Biotechnology Symposium
• 1995 Chosen as a participant in Leadership Institute in Human & Molecular Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory, Long Island, New York. One of 24 teachers in U.S. for in-depth instruction in Biotechnology & Molecular Genetics.
• 1996 Chosen as one of two instructors within the U.S. to host a DNA Science Targeted Institute for the
summer of 1996. Sponsored by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Long Island, New York.
• 1997 Awarded a Harrisonburg City Schools Foundation Grant for research of the Alu allele in
Harrisonburg High School’s student population using Polymerase Chain Reaction and comparing
actual data to the theoretical results of the Hardy-Weinberg Principle
• 1997 Awarded a Virginia Power Mini-grant for the 1998 Biotechnology Symposium
• 1998 Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year Award,Virginia, National Association of Biology Teachers
• 1999 Named as Key Science Leader, for Harrisonburg City Public School System in the Building a
Presence for Science initiative sponsored by the Exxon Education Foundation and NSTA.
• 1999 All USA, USA TODAY Teacher First Team, 16 Teachers chosen nationwide for this award.
Published in the Oct. 14, 1999 USA TODAY.
• 2000 Featured in an article in the April 24, 2000 issue of USA TODAY on education.
• 2001 Featured in the book, Teachers, by John Yow, Copyright 2001 Lionheart Books
Ltd. ISBN: 0-7407-1940-8
• 2003 Co-recipient, Shenandoah Valley Institute for Infrastructure and Information Assurance's
INNOVATION IN EDUCATION AWARD, "Lewis and Clark 2003: Retracing the Trail"
• 2005 Alumnus of the Year, Eastern Mennonite University
• 2008 Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award, Biotechnology Institute. San Diego, CA
2nd place Nationally. $1,000 certificate to Invitrogen, $5,000 cash award
• 2011 Subject of a book, “Education that Works, Coast to Coast & Discovery trips with Myron E. Blosser,
1998-2011” by Elwood E. Yoder, 2011. http://www.blurb.com/b/2377866...
• 2011 AP Boxley McDonald’s Teacher Achievement Award. “For demonstrating excellence in the classroom