Reena Varma, Chairperson of Maria Regina High School’s Science Department, Earns Prestigious 2025 Keivin Burns Outstanding High School Science Teacher Award
Reena Varma (P’17) of Yonkers, chairperson of Maria Regina High School’s Science Department, has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Keivin Burns Outstanding High School Science Teacher Award, sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP).
In May, at an Awards Banquet at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, she will join the roster of past honorees who were recognized by SSP for exceptional teaching in the sciences at the secondary level.
“This honor recognizes Ms. Varma’s outstanding contributions to our science program that have earned high praise,” said Maria Carozza-McCaffrey (’99), principal, adding: “We are thrilled and congratulate Ms. Varma for being recognized for her dedication to inspiring students and fostering a love of science. This latest award again underscores the high caliber of educators at Maria Regina, where excellence in teaching continues to shape the future of our students.”
Ms. Varna noted, ”I am deeply honored to be the winner of the 2025 Keivin Burns High School Science Teaching Award. This recognition reflects the incredible colleagues and supportive administration I work alongside every day. A special thank you to all my students, past and present, who made me a part of their learning journey at Maria Regina. Teaching science and fostering an environment that encourages students to explore STEM fields has always been the most rewarding experience for me and will continue to be so.”
Under Ms. Varma’s leadership, Maria Regina’s science program has significantly expanded as increasing numbers of students have enrolled in College Board AP science courses. In addition, Maria Regina has won AP accolades. Most recently, for the second-year-in-a-row, it earned the annual AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, one of a select group of only 847 high schools in the nation to earn the prestigious honor.
And last June, Maria Regina held its first Science Fair, a two-day exhibition that showcased 274 scientific topics that the students explored. She noted: “Our students worked very hard on their projects of interest,” Ms. Varna related. “They learned to think like scientists, asked relevant questions, researched, experimented and were well prepared to present their findings which were lauded by a panel of experts who judged the students’ efforts.”
Maria Regina High School is a Catholic school where young women are encouraged to achieve academic excellence, empowered to be compassionate, empowered to be compassionate leaders, and enriched with the Spirit to live a life of Charity, Truth, and Service to others. To learn more, visit www.mariaregina.org