Gale Vermeulen receives 2014 Friend of Science Award

Gale Vermeulen (left) with the ISTS Chair Kelen Panec (right)

Gale Vermeulen, former chemistry teacher and Science Department Chair at Oskaloosa High School, was recently honored with the 2014 Outstanding Service Award at the ICTM-ISTS Math Science Conference held at Iowa State University. The award is presented by the Iowa Science Teaching Section of the Iowa Academy of Science to an ISTS member who has made sustained extraordinary contributions to ISTS and/or to science education at the state and/or national level.

Gale Vermeulen taught a variety of science courses and chaired the science departments at four different high schools during her 36 year teaching career. In addition to Oskaloosa she taught at Tri-County of Thornburg, Twin Cedars of Bussey and Eddyville-Blakesburg. She also taught biology for elementary majors at William Penn University. She piloted both the PRISMS physics and CRISTAL chemistry courses, earned National Board certification for chemistry teaching in 2002, and received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Oskaloosa Chamber of Commerce in 2012.

Gale is a Fellow in the Iowa Academy of Science, has received the IAS Excellence in Science Teaching award for teaching chemistry, has served on planning committees for the ISTS Fall Conference, and has served as President Elect, President, and currently is the Past President of the Academy. She continues to be an active member of the Iowa Academy of Science and the Iowa Science Teaching Section of the Academy.