Chattanooga Has Launched Five Einstein Fellows—Meet the Newest

smoore911
Sep 15
6 min read

Updated: Oct 22

Meet Lora Taylor—STEM Fellows alum, Project Inspire alum, and former VW eLab specialist—now the fourth PEF alum named an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow (2025–26, Library of Congress).

At 8:01 a.m., Lora Taylor figured the answer was no. The Albert Einstein Fellowship said acceptance calls would go out at 8:00.

Later that day, while walking students from STEM School Chattanooga to Chattanooga State, a D.C. number lit up her phone. She answered—the call dropped. Answered again— dropped. Stuck between campus Wi-Fi zones, the biggest call of her career kept slipping away until, finally, it held.

“It was very exciting and very emotional,” Lora says.

On that call she learned she’d been selected into one of the nation’s most prestigious educator fellowships. Each year, fewer than 15 teachers across the United States are chosen as Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows, stepping out of the classroom to serve in federal agencies such as the Library of Congress, NASA, and the Department of Energy. Established in 1994, the program brings fellows’ classroom expertise to national policy conversations and equips them to return with new perspectives, networks, and influence.

Lora not only earned a spot, she had multiple offers. Within 24 hours, she chose the Library of Congress for her placement—a dream fit for a lifelong library kid who loves teaching with primary sources.

“I learned I get things on the second try,” Lora said. She applied to PEF's Project Inspire Teacher Residency twice before being accepted, and twice to the Einstein Fellowship before she finally got the call. That pattern of persistence carried into everything else—creating her own STEM course at Tyner Middle, writing Tyner’s VW eLab grant while on maternity leave, guiding students through a major public-art installation project, and showing up to nearly every learning opportunity to raise her caliber as a teacher.

But her determination didn’t exist in a vacuum. The ecosystem PEF and its partners have built—Project Inspire teacher residency, the countywide VW eLabs network, STEM Fellows, the FabFolio Benwood network, and historic PEF leadership programs—formed a deliberate educator pipeline that nurtured her growth at every stage. Lora flourished within it, joining a legacy of impact in which four of Chattanooga’s five Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows are PEF alumni.

The 2025 class of Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows, including Chattanooga’s own Lora Taylor (STEM School Chattanooga) and Michael Lowry (McCallie School).

Five Einstein Fellows Have Roots in Chattanooga

This year, two Chattanooga teachers—Lora Taylor of STEM School Chattanooga and Michael Lowry of McCallie School—are serving as Einstein Fellows at the Library of Congress. They join a short list of local educators who have held the fellowship, including Joshua Sneideman, Michael Stone, and Amara Alexander.

That makes five Fellows from one mid-sized city in the last decade. Each year, only a dozen or so teachers nationwide are selected, and many communities never see even one. Chattanooga has produced five—and four of them came through PEF's teacher development eco-system. It points to something distinctive about the way this community has supported and cultivated its STEM educators.

*From left: Joshua Sneideman (2015 Fellow), Amara Alexander (2019 Fellow), Lora Taylor (2025 Fellow), Michael Stone (2016 Fellow), Michael Lowry (2025 Fellow)*

The PEF Ecosystem at Work

Behind Chattanooga’s STEM momentum is a long arc of leadership development at PEF. From the early days of key leadership initiatives to today’s teacher development programs, PEF has cultivated educators who not only excel in their classrooms but also grow into regional and national leaders. Michael Stone is one example. Before becoming PEF’s Vice President of Innovative Learning—where he led the launch of the VW eLabs network, created FabFolio and the FabFolio Benwood Network, and coached the district’s eLab Specialist community—he was a STEM Fellow, shaped by PEF’s teacher development ecosystem.

Michael Stone (far left) with Lora Taylor (center) in Tyner's VW eLab. Lora wrote the grant for the lab and served as the VW eLab specialist.

Michael Stone's path later took him to Washington, D.C., as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation, the same fellowship Lora Taylor now holds at the Library of Congress. Lora first learned about the opportunity through Michael and credits his mentorship.

"Great teachers are always seeking opportunites to expand their horizons. The Einstein Fellowship allowed me to do exactly that, and in my current role, I have the unique opportunity to push other public school educators like Lora to pursue this career-changing experience," said Michael Stone, vp of innovative learning at PEF.

Lora's Path to Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator

“PEF wasn’t just my entry point—it was a continuum of support that helped me grow into a STEM leader,” Lora says.

From PEF's teacher residency in 2019 to STEM Fellows in 2024—and more in between—Lora took advantage of every professional development opportunity PEF offered. Each of these programs is intentionally designed to create strong teacher leaders—educators who elevate school culture, spark ripple effects across entire schools, and keep student success at the center of everything they do. It’s that emphasis on leadership and student-centered learning that sets PEF alumni apart, and Lora’s journey is one example of how that vision becomes reality.

Chattanooga Private Schools Taking Note

Hamilton County's public-school STEM movement is sparking a healthy cross-pollination across the community.

**Michael Lowry, Science Teacher at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, and Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow '25 at the Library of Congress**

Michael Lowry, science teacher and department chair at The McCallie School and an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow ’25 at the Library of Congress, is part of that story.

Lowry is also a PEF alumnus, having completed Critical Friends Coaches training in 2010—and he continues to lead that program at McCallie today. Lowry describes the experience as “phenomenal,” pointing out that PEF’s protocols gave him the structure and tools to move beyond surface-level feedback.

He also notes that the public-school innovation ecosystem—VW eLabs, FabFolio, and PEF’s sustained teacher development—has meaningfully inspired private-school practice.

“Hamilton County’s maker-space movement inspired our Innovation Lab at McCallie—it’s the same spirit of hands-on, design-driven learning,” Lowry reflected. And Chattanooga’s influence, he says, is bigger than most realize. “This little town is punching way above its weight,” he added, pointing to the city’s track record of producing multiple Einstein Fellows and the national recognition its STEM initiatives have earned.

The influence is visible across sectors. Private-school educators have toured spaces like STEM School Chattanooga to learn from the VW eLab model and have shown strong interest in FabFolio. The scale—55 labs registered at the FabFoundation through MIT—and the shared practices around them are a draw. And talent developed within Hamilton County Schools is leading new programs: Arthur Williams, one of the district’s most awarded STEM educators and a PEF “super-alum,” recently joined Girls Preparatory School (GPS) to launch a robust makerspace program.

In a community where private education is—at least conversationally—held up as the standard for K–12, it’s striking that private schools are now looking to public-school success to shape their STEM programs. The ecosystem PEF, Hamilton County Schools, and their partners have built isn’t only opening doors for public-school students—it’s setting the pace for the entire community.

What This Means—for Lora and for Chattanooga and Hamilton County

For Lora, the fellowship recognizes that teacher voice matters in national programs and policy.

“Anytime we’re given opportunities to be heard—and to advocate for what’s best for teachers and students—it’s meaningful.”

Lora with her students at Tyner Academy, formerly Tyner Middle.

For Chattanooga, it’s momentum. When a community stewards an ecosystem—Project Inspire → VW eLabs → STEM Fellows → FabFolio Benwood Network → thriving eLab Specialist networks—teachers grow, students learn, and the whole community thrives together.

This is where you come in. If you’re a Hamilton County educator curious about VW eLabs, STEM Fellows, FabFolio, or even the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, PEF is here to help you enter, grow, and lead—from your first classroom to the national stage. And if you’re a community member, business, or civic leader who wants to see Chattanooga continue to prepare every student for the future of work, we invite you to connect with us.