At New Hope since 2018
BS Purdue University
MA Harvard University
teaching: HS Chemistry and HS Physics
HS Geometry and HS Algebra 2
Ms. Rebecca (Becca) Beaman joined New Hope's faculty for the 2018-19 academic year, teaching high school Chemistry. She has since taken on additional high school math and science teaching for us, and has become a well-loved and sought-after high school instructor.
Her credentials include a MA degree in Physical Chemistry from Harvard University, as well as a BS degree in Chemistry from Purdue University. She is also fluent in French, having earned her BA in the language from Miami University (Ohio). In addition, Ms. Beaman has had a busy career in the private sector, developing software over a span of 20 years. She is published and holds a number of patents for her work in the field.
In her own words: "When I was young, I loved history, foreign languages and fiction; they gave me a view into the lives of others that was joyful and transformative. I was especially delighted to be able to actually speak to people in their own language: you learn something new, and you can immediately put it to use.
I was surprised to find that I also loved Chemistry and Algebra, since I hadn’t enjoyed arithmetic at all, at first. They introduced me to a new and powerful way of thinking. Finding that the world’s laws were explainable and understandable was amazing for me; it really changed the way I saw the world. And, like foreign language, this new knowledge was usable; knowing Chemistry meant that I could understand things about cooking and cleaning and making art (and many other things).
Chemistry is a subject in which you can understand and do far more than you thought you could, and that is important and empowering. Learning Algebra is like getting a driver’s license; using Algebra to then go on and do Chemistry is like taking that driver’s license and actually going somewhere new and exciting.
I have been teaching and mentoring all through my life, first in college and graduate school, and later in the corporate world. I am now returning to one of my first loves, Chemistry, hoping to share the delight of the field with high school students, just as it was shared with me in high school years ago."
Ms. Beaman lives with her husband and four cats. She enjoys cooking, kayaking, volunteering at her church, and occasionally makes it into the basement to do lapidary work.