From Campus to Classroom: Celebrating Scranton's Noyce Graduates

The University celebrates three new Noyce Scholars—Britney Walsh '24, G'25, Devang Patel '24, G'25, and Joseph Phillips '24, G'25 —who will walk across the Commencement stage this month with master's degrees in secondary education. From there they will head straight into high school classrooms where curious minds are waiting. Walsh, Patel and Phillips, alongside juniors Alessandra Bellino and James Kane, show what a rock‑solid STEM foundation can do: inspire teens to become tomorrow’s biologists, mathematicians, coders, chemists, physicists, engineers and more.

Grounded in cura personalis and the Ignatian spirit of reflection, service and excellence, the scholars are preparing to spark curiosity in high school classrooms. The scholars invite students to picture themselves as the next generation of researchers, innovators and problem‑solvers working for the common good.

Good news: Applications for the next Noyce Scholar cohort are still open. 

The Noyce Scholarship Program offers $35,000 in funding to cover full tuition for the 11-month MS in Secondary Education Program at The University of Scranton, thanks to support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Questions? Reach out to Dr. Juan Serna (juan.serna@scranton.edu) or Dr. Maria Oreshkina (maria.oreshkina@scranton.edu)

Meet the Noyce Scholars

Britney Walsh '24, G'25

Walsh graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology. As an undergraduate at the University, she participated in many clubs, including Asia Club, Scranton Students Association of the Philippines (SSAP), the Society for Sustainability and Conservation (SS&C), and served as production manager of Esprit. 

Devang Patel '24, G'25

Patel graduated with majors in neuroscience, environmental science and philosophy. He was also part of SJLA and Magis Honors Programs.

"Teaching in a high-need school aligns with my passion for fostering equity in STEM education. I want to empower students to see the relevance of chemistry in their daily lives and future aspirations, especially those who may not have had consistent access to quality instruction or resources.  By portraying chemistry through real-world applications, I hope to ignite curiosity and inspire confidence in students. As a teacher, I want to provide not just academic knowledge, but also mentorship, encouragement and a belief in my students’ potential to succeed, no matter their circumstances." 

Joseph Phillips '24, G'25

Phillips graduated with a major in mathematics.
"I was not entirely sold on what I wanted to do going into college. It took me about a year to decide that teaching math was an interest of mine...

"This program allowed me to stick to my original path. Also, teaching at a high-need school seemed like a way of giving back to the system that I had to learn in. Overall, this program provided a great opportunity for me to keep my life on track while also doing some good."

Alessandra Bellino '26

Bellino is a junior secondary education and mathematics double major from Schwenksville.
"At The University of Scranton, I am the treasurer of the Student Education Club. I am also a coxswain for the women’s crew team. Through the Noyce foundation I am given the opportunity to teach in a high-need school after graduation. I am very grateful for this opportunity because I think that is extremely important to have qualified teachers in high-need schools, so the students can succeed."

James Kane '26

Kane is a junior secondary education and mathematics major from Westchester, New York.

"I enrolled into the Noyce Scholarship program for the opportunities provided and this program allows me to prepare myself to be the best teacher I can be. With the shortage of STEM teachers, I hope to be able to impact students’ lives and help prepare them for the world."