Farmington High School Teacher Finalist for Award

Farmington High School biology teacher Antonella Bona has been named a finalist for the seventh annual Women in Innovation Awards Program.

 The program recognizes women across the state who are innovators, role models and teachers in their professions or fields of study.  The awards are sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council, which is the state’s industry association for the technology sector. Bona is a finalist in the “Academic Innovation and Learning” category.

Bona, who also teaches AP biology, has an extensive background in science research in the field of endocrinology. But what she really loves, she said, is communicating her “passion for science to the next generations.”

“I teach my students the process of science, not only content,” she said, explaining that during the years she has mentored many students in research projects. With a grant she received to improve technology in the classroom with the purchase of probes and computer software, the data her students collect in their experiments and labs “lends itself to serious data analysis,” she said. “There is nothing worse for students than trying to interpret bad data.”

Bona has been to the White House to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching; she earned the Siemens Award for AP Biology and Excellence in Science Teaching Award from the Connecticut Science Teachers Association; and she has been a finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

Bona said she was surprised to have been chosen as a finalist because until this year, the finalists have all been in academia.

“I am very honored and pleased that the Women of Innovation Council is now also taking into consideration the contributions of high school teachers,” said Bona, who has been teaching at Farmington High School since 2004.

Bona said her students looked up the award on the web and were “duly impressed.”

“She fits the description of the perfect teacher,” said Walter Nakonechny, who has been teaching AP bio at Farmington High with Bona for several years. “She is an amazing, gifted person.”

Nakonechny nominated his colleague for this award.

“I’ve near had the pleasure of working with someone who has the passion that she has,” he added. “It is really contagious.”

This year’s list of 56 finalists includes researchers, educators, engineers, managers and entrepreneurs whose fields include biotech, pharmaceuticals, software, computer hardware, advanced materials, medical devices and information technology, according to a Connecticut Technology Council press release.

Bona is a finalist along with four other women in her category. Winners will be announced during the 2011 Women of Innovation Awards Dinner at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington on March 31.

To view the full list of nominations, visit www.ct.org.