Erin Foley

Background

About Erin Foley

As a child I was always interested in science, constantly asking how things worked and why. That curiosity continued to grow as I did, and I ultimately followed courses of study in biology and biochemistry, earning a Ph. D. in the latter. My teachers and professors in both subjects emphasized the importance of critical thinking, communication, and collaboration in scientific advancement. Along the way, both in high school and at university, I was also fortunate to have great teachers in subjects like history, English, and philosophy who inspired my creativity and encouraged me to develop good communication skills. These skills are important to anyone following any career path-a scientist can carry out the most elegant experiments and make the most important discoveries, but if he or she is unable to communicate results, the discovery won’t make an impact. After spending a year as a Postdoctoral Fellow in a research lab in Munich, I came to realize that my favorite days as a postdoc, a graduate student, and a technician, were the days that I taught a student something new. So I decided to leave the research lab, and I have now built a career out of those great days. I am currently teaching IB Diploma Program Chemistry, and Theory of Knowledge as well as MYP Sciences, and am serving as MYP Coordinator. Our students are learning to be creative and critical thinkers, effective investigators, and good communicators. I look forward to continuing to work with students in the secondary years as they develop these skills and learn to understand the mark that scientific discovery makes in their world.