Jeff Grant is a biology and anatomy teacher at Downers Grove North High School in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he’s taught for the last 15 years. He eats, sleeps, and drinks science and is always looking to share his passion with anyone who will listen.

Grant fully believes in providing authentic science educational experience—one in which students collect real data, learn about natural patterns, interact with local scientists, and learn how to design their own experiments. He partners with the Morton Arboretum, collaborates with scientists from Rush University and Argonne National Laboratory, and has a deep desire to bring in the latest scientific knowledge to his students.

Grant’s love of science goes back as far as he can remember. He has a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University focusing on biology and chemistry, two master’s degree from Aurora University, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. If he isn’t trying to create new materials for students, like his two books An Illustrated Guide to Biology and An Illustrated Guide to Chemistry, he is at local and national conferences talking about teaching science. He has received the Golden Apple Teaching Award, the PASCO STEM educator award, and is a finalist for the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching.

When he isn’t reading about science and science fiction—or training his two daughters and wife to be science dorks as well—Grant is outdoors discovering nature. One of his favorite activities is to make mental phenology reports on his daily long runs through the forest preserves.