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Missi Zender-Sakach, Ph.D. Earns Plastics Hall of Honor Award

Posted: 9/21/2015

Photo of Missi Zender-Sakach
Missi Zender-Sakach receives the Plastics Hall of Honor Award
The Summit County Educational Service Center (SCESC) is pleased to announce that SCESC Science Consultant Missi Zender-Sakach, Ph.D., of Stow, was recently presented the Plastics Hall of Honor Award by the Society of Plastics Engineers during an awards ceremony at Firestone Country Club.

“I was completely honored, and it was wonderful to have that feeling of being so supported,” Dr. Zender-Sakach said. “It was especially gratifying to have a professional organization made up of professional scientists support an educational initiative in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).”

Dr. Zender-Sakach, a former elementary and middle school science teacher, joined the SCESC in 1998 after spending 8 years in the classroom. In order to bring opportunities to local school districts, she established a partnership with the Society of Plastics Engineers along with local corporations and universities to help broaden science instruction for students.

“There has always been a need for schools, businesses and industries to work together to promote the sciences in schools. STEM is a buzz word to say what we’ve always been doing. It’s always been there. I think there is definitely a switch in how we’re teaching kids, but the basis of the philosophy is still there. We should always be working with businesses and industries to help students with career choices and job placement and to learn engineering and practices. The focus is more prevalent now,” she said.

Her passion for creating excitement for science education is a result of her own self-described “horrible” experiences as an elementary student. She believes science should be engaging and encourage teachers to allow their students to explore and learn.

“Science is everywhere. It affects nearly everything in life, from breathing to medicine,” she said.

Dr. Zender-Sakach earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University. She holds a master’s degree and a doctorate from The University of Akron.

She has been involved in other educational opportunities with the Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies, American Nuclear Society and American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. She is currently a board member of the Science Education Council-Ohio and a member of the National Science Education Leadership Association and the National Science Teachers Association.