Three alumnae honored as Knowles Teaching Fellows

Liz Ratliff, Kristy Schleibaum and Callie Van Koughnett, all alumnae of the University of South Carolina, have been awarded 2008 Knowles Teaching Fellowships.

Knowles Teaching Fellowships are awarded to young men and women who have earned a bachelor’s or advanced degree in science, engineering or mathematics and are committed to teaching high-school science or mathematics. Recipients receive professional and financial support through a five-year teacher preparation program and are given up to $100,000 of financial support during that time.

“Applicants from highly respected institutions such as Stanford, Cornell and Penn compete annually for the Knowles Fellowships, and USC now has a four-year history of success in this highly competitive arena,” said Dr. Ed Dickey, College of Education professor and university Knowles advisor. “Three awardees from one institution is particularly remarkable.”

The University of South Carolina has a record of Knowles winners. In 2005, the inaugural year of the mathematics competition, two students were awarded fellowships. The university also had a winner in both 2006 and 2007.

Ratliff earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the university in 2004 and is pursuing a master’s degree in teaching for math and secondary education. As an undergraduate, she was involved with the S.C. FIRST LEGO League Tournament, serving as a LEGO mentor for Northside Middle School in Columbia. A graduate of Lower Richland High School, she is the daughter of Jay and Carol Leeper of Hopkins and is married to Jay Ratliff.

Schleibaum, of Burke, Va., earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the university in 2007 and is studying for a master’s degree in education at Stanford University. She plans to teach high school chemistry.

Van Koughnett earned a bachelor’s degree in marine science from South Carolina Honors College in 2007. She is working as a naturalist in Charleston and intends to pursue a master’s degree in science and math education at the College of Charleston. She is from Loudon, Tenn.

For more information about the Knowles Teaching Fellowship visit http://kstf.org/teaching_fellowships_home.aspx. For more information about the university’s pursuit of national fellowships visit the Office of Fellowships and Scholar programs at www.sc.edu/ofsp.