Richard Jones is an assistant professor in elementary education at UH West O‘ahu and serves on the UHPA Board of Directors.

A true believer that science is everywhere, he adapts and modifies numerous lessons, labs and activities to use local data, local geomorphology and local issues to which the students can directly relate.

Prior to joining UH West O‘ahu, Jones was a science teacher in Montana and Kaua‘i. He also worked at the U.S. Department of Energy as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow where he focused on science education programs.  Students leave his classroom with a genuine appreciation and understanding of science and the ability to teach it themselves. “My outlook on science is so much different now. I actually love science and am so excited to try all the wonderful things I did in this course with my future students,” said a UH West O’ahu elementary education student.

Jones’ leadership duties include being the president of the Hawai‘i Science Teachers Association and one of the co-principal investigators for the university’s $245,000 STEM Center of Excellence Grant. He was also recently appointed to the National Science Teachers Association Committee on College Science Teaching where he will help guide policies, programs and activities related to the teaching of college science.