Alumni Excellence – Golden Apple

Hope Cahill, a 2020 graduate of New Mexico Tech’s Master of Science for Teachers program, has earned national recognition for her outstanding contributions to science education. In 2022, President Joe Biden named Cahill a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)—the highest honor a K–12 STEM teacher can receive from the U.S. government. The award recognized her as New Mexico’s top science teacher for grades K–6, celebrating her ability to inspire curiosity and promote inquiry-based learning in her classroom.

Artifact Golden Apple

Cahill teaches sixth-grade science and math at El Dorado Community School in Santa Fe, where she integrates place-based and inquiry-driven education into her lessons. Her curriculum draws on New Mexico’s unique geology and scientific history, connecting classroom learning to the real-world research conducted at NMT. While earning her master’s degree, she developed materials based on an NSF-funded study of the Socorro magma body, later publishing her work in The Earth Scientist journal.

In addition to the PAEMST honor, Cahill received the New Mexico Academy of Science Outstanding Science Teacher Award (2022), the Teachers Who Inspire Award (2021), and the Golden Apple Award (2025). Her dedication to student engagement, STEM mentorship, and educational outreach exemplifies the impact of NMT-trained educators in advancing science literacy across New Mexico.

Learn More:

Article on Hope Cahill and her accomplishments:
https://www.nmt.edu/advancement/hope.cahill.php