Phillip Cook

Phillip Cook

Fellowship Placement: Library of Congress
Hometown: Valparaiso, Indiana

Phillip Cook is an award-winning science educator and communicator based in Valparaiso, Indiana, bringing over 24 years of experience in public and private secondary education. Currently a Senior Science Instructor at Culver Academies, he has taught AP Chemistry, Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering, and has led initiatives to implement inquiry-based, competency-driven instruction across STEM disciplines.

Phil holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Education and a Master of Science in Learning Design & Technology, both from Purdue University. His career is marked by professional leadership, including service as Chemistry Division Chair, Technology Support Committee Director, and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) site coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to serving as site coordinator at Notre Dame, Phil participated in the NSF funded RET program, focusing on 3d printed solid state electrochemical cells and graphene-based chemical sensors. He has conducted research in solar thermal energy at Sandia National Laboratories as a Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellow. Curriculum developed from his research work has been awarded with content grants by Curriki, and several lab activities are featured on UC Boulder’s PhET website.

Recognized as a 2013 Indiana finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, Phil has also been honored with the Delmar P. Spivey Award, Kaiser Scholar Award and the Ralph Dittman Chair of Science. Phil has delivered presentations representing Notre Dames’s RET program at the NSF Engineering Education Awardees Conference, and most recently, he was the Indiana STEM education conference keynote speaker at Purdue University.

In addition to teaching in the classroom, Phil’s work as a science communicator as @chemteacherphil is widely known on social media, where his engaging, curiosity-driven science videos have garnered in excess of 6 million followers and hundreds of millions of views. Phil has shared his content strategy with fellow science communicators at Fermilab, Brookhaven, CERN and SLAC through the Interactions collaboration, as well as with corporate research scientists at P&G, ECOLAB and Haleon. Through his teaching in the classroom and collaborations with organizations, Phil leads with his passion for science literacy, sustainability, real-world applications, and a joy of discovery.