FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2019

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Sergio de Alba, a sixth-grade teacher at R.M. Miano Elementary School in Los Banos, California, has been named the 2019 recipient of the Edward C. Roy Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching.

De Alba earned his Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies as well as multiple certificates in Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language, Multiple Subject Teaching, and School Administration from from California State University, Stanislaus. In his 18 years as a teacher, de Alba has received awards and recognitions such as the Los Banos Unified School District Teacher of the Year award, National Science Teacher Association Sylvia Shugrue Award for Elementary School Teachers, EPA Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators award honorable mention, and Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence.

In addition to teaching, de Alba is highly involved in community projects geared towards science inquiry and multi-cultural involvement in science. He has developed schoolwide programs for understanding the importance of science education, as well as gained funding through grants and donations for classroom programs benefiting students at his school.  

"Mr. de Alba is an amazing educational force," said Allyson Anderson Book, Executive Director of the American Geosciences Institute. "He is a clear stand-out among applicants, both past and present, and his work shows incredible enthusiasm and spirit for teaching Earth science."

De Alba will receive the award in April at the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) Friends of Earth Science Reception, sponsored by Activate Learning and the American Meteorological Society, during the 2019 National Science Teachers Association Conference in St. Louis. This year's finalists were Joseph C. Perry of Palmyra-Macedon Middle School in Palmyra, New York, and Jill A. Weaver of Valley View Junior High School in Farmersville, Ohio.

Given annually, AGI's Edward C. Roy Jr. Award recognizes one classroom teacher from kindergarten to eighth grade for leadership and innovation in Earth science education. The award is named in honor of Dr. Edward C. Roy Jr., who was a strong and dedicated supporter of Earth science education. To learn more, please see www.americangeosciences.org/education/awards/roy.

About AGI
The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is a nonprofit federation of more than 50 scientific and professional associations that represents over a quarter-million geoscientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides geoscientists with access to scholarly information, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and health of the environment.

AGI is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving the geoscience community and addressing the needs of society. AGI headquarters are in Alexandria, Virginia.

The American Geosciences Institute represents and serves the geoscience community by providing collaborative leadership and information to connect Earth, science, and people.

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AGI Contact:
Geoff Camphire, Associate Director of Strategic Communications
gac@americangeosciences.org
703.379.2480 ext. 216