2025 ‘Great Teacher’ Sahar Alameh inspires the teachers of tomorrow
This March, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association honored six recipients of this year’s Great Teacher Awards.
Launched in 1961, they are the longest-running UK award recognizing accomplished and passionate educators.
In order to receive the honor, teachers must first be nominated by a student. The UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Award Committee, in cooperation with the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa, then makes the final selection. Recipients receive a commemorative award and stipend.
Sahar Alameh, Ph.D., assistant professor of STEM education in the College of Education, is one of this year’s distinguished Great Teacher Award recipients.
Alameh emphasizes that her teaching philosophy begins with highlighting the importance of understanding — particularly in science and mathematics.
“It comes down to understanding what it means for students to understand scientific concepts, and not just that, but to also understand what we call the nature of science and how science works in everyday life,” she said.
Before joining UK, Alameh spent seven years as a high school science teacher, teaching physics and chemistry. She experienced firsthand the challenges educators face in teaching science for deep understanding and uses those experiences to shape both her research and her teaching approach.
“I am inspired by my students because they want to become science and math teachers. It’s not an easy job, and they know that. But they wake up in the morning, every morning and do this. If this is not inspiring, I don’t know what is,” Alameh said. “One day, my students are going to be the people who will inspire others to become teachers. They represent our future.”
Her dedication resonates deeply with her students.
“Her classroom was a place where I felt seen, valued, heard and inspired to reach my full potential,” said Cindy Weaver, a UK student who nominated Alameh for the award. “Her unwavering dedication to her students, the field of education, the UK community and beyond make her an amazing teacher.”
Alameh completed her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Curriculum and Instruction from the Math, Science, and Technology Division. Her research is connected with two areas: the construction and evaluation of meaningful scientific explanations within K-12 science classrooms, as well as the investigation into the teaching and learning of Nature of Science.
In the coming months, UKNow will continue to share stories featuring this year’s Great Teacher Award winners.
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