LT Educator, Brookfield Zoo Researcher Awarded National Honor

Jason Crean, of Woodridge, is a science teacher, college professor, research aide, curriculum author, animal handler and zoo consultant.

He's also the recipient of last year's Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, an honor granted to just one math and one science teacher from each state. The award comes with $10,000 from the National Science Foundation to be used at the recipient's discretion and a trip to Washington D.C. to meet President Barack Obama.

“It was a humbling experience having the president recognize you with the highest award that a teacher can receive,” Crean said.

Crean said he enjoyed meeting the other award recipients in Washington D.C. because they all faced the same challenges. “You only have your kids for 45 minutes a day or so and you need to maximize your time with them and get them to care,” he said. “That’s the difficult part of the job.”

Crean has taught biology for 15 years and has been a teacher at Lyons Township for 10 years. According to his Website, he's also an adjunct faculty member at Benedictine University and Aurora University. He teaches undergraduate biology at St. Xavier University and taught environmental science at Moraine Valley College.

His teaching focuses on real-world science applications. His students take part in a simulated paternity test and use DNA to distinguish between different species of animals. Crean and members of Lyons Township's zoology club tend to reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals in the school's live animal education exhibit. He also assists with the school's chinchilla breeding program.

Crean said teaching genetics is his favorite part of biology.

“Genetics is a very fun thing to teach because you can show the kids directly how it relates to their lives,” he said. “They always want to know why they have to learn something. It’s a perfect example of why it’s important.”

Crean doesn't just stop as a high school and college instructor. He also works as a research aide at the Wildlife Genetics Lab at , which partners with his classroom. At the zoo, he teaches graduate and professional development courses.

In 2007, he teamed with Dr. Jean Dubach, a geneticist he met at Brookfield, to develop a genetics curriculum for high school students. The curriculum is offered online for free to any teacher in the world. So far, it's been picked up by teachers across the country and in Italy and the Philippines.

Despite his long resume, the news of the award was a huge surprise for Crean. “They called me when I was in the car and I had to pull over,” he said. “I was completely shocked. I had to hear it more than once to believe it. I never, ever thought it would be a possibility.”

Though Crean teaches in several classrooms now, he didn't always plan on making education his profession. He initially wanted to be a veterinarian but made the switch.

“It was the best choice I ever made,” Crean said. “Just being able to share biology, something that I love. It just seemed like a good gig.”