Ron Perkins
WISL Honorary Fellow

Ron Perkins has had the fortune to be successful in two careers. For 33 years he was a high school chemistry teacher – the last 25 of which he taught at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT. Then in 1994, he founded Educational Innovations, one of the top 10 science education companies in the US.

Ron was the first person from Connecticut to be honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, in 1983, and he also served as assistant director of the Institute for Chemical Education (ICE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1983 to 1997. In 1986 he received the ACS James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching, and was the first high school chemistry teacher to serve as chair of the ACS Division of Chemical Education, in 1994.

He is an exceptional teacher, and his passion for science and teaching has taken him around the globe, presenting more than 800 teacher workshops in the USA, Canada, Ireland, England, and Norway. Ron has made invaluable contributions to the Chemical Demonstrations book series, as well as to the art and practice of chemical demonstrations as a whole. The WISL is very fortunate to have him as a collaborator.

Ron currently lives in Naples, FL with his wife Karen. They have two daughters, Kristin and Kerry.  His hobbies include exploring the Florida Everglades, photographing birds and learning about chemistry.

Ron accepts the ACS Helen M. Free Award from (at left) Cheryl Frech, chair of the ACS Committee on Public Relations & Communications; Free; and Shakhashiri.
Photo by Peter Cutts Photography

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