Julia Buben, North Quincy High School

Julia Buben is in her fourth year teaching science at North Quincy High School. She is a 2020 graduate of Boston College, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in biology and earned the Excellence in Secondary Education Teaching award for her work during her undergraduate student teaching experience. Julia’s passion for expanding access to biotechnology education in schools was ignited in 2018 when she attended MassBioEd’s Summer Institute. In 2021, she took her advocacy a step further by initiating efforts to introduce a biotechnology course at her school.

After receiving a Massachusetts Life Sciences grant to start up her course, Julia began teaching biotechnology at North Quincy High School in 2022. She began supporting the science teachers at her school in incorporating biotechnology into their life sciences courses as well. This summer, she pioneered an early-college summer academy biotechnology course at Quincy College aiming to offer more high school students in the district access to this valuable educational experience.

Julia’s firm belief in exposing all students to biotechnology during their secondary education drives her commitment to expanding awareness of diverse STEM careers and fostering a sense of belonging among students in the field of science. Looking ahead, she is excited to further enhance her curriculum, by integrating inquiry-based learning that incorporates biotechnology across all science classrooms at her school.