Like any successful chemical reaction, great teaching requires the right elements. For Amiee (Larchar) Modic ’84 (BS Chemistry), recipient of the 2025 James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching, those elements include authenticity, enthusiasm, and a spark of inspiration.
Growing up in a small town in upstate New York, Modic was drawn to Michigan Tech for the University’s STEM-focused curriculum and close-knit community. Initially pursuing chemical engineering, Modic switched to chemistry where her passion for hands-on learning flourished. “I really enjoyed all of my lab experiences at Tech, and I know they prepared me very well,” Modic said, adding that one lab experience is still quite vivid—an explosion involving a graduate student in an organic chemistry research lab.
Between late-night walks home from swim practice and Winter Carnival fun, Modic left Michigan Tech with fond memories, close friendships, and a world-class education—but she still didn't know what her future held. Without a concrete career plan after graduation, Modic took a chance on a teaching position left vacant by her favorite high school science teacher, allowing her to put her bachelor's degree in chemistry to use. “I found that I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I especially liked teaching the lab portions of chemistry—and still do.”
The unexpected opportunity led Modic to discover that powerful reactions don’t just happen in test tubes…they happen when the students get to see and experience the magic and beauty of chemistry themselves, she says.
Earning National Recognition
Recognized at both state and national levels, Modic—a high school chemistry teacher at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas—has earned numerous awards over her 40-year teaching career. She received the George Hague Jr. Award for Teaching Excellence from the Associated Chemistry Teachers of Texas (ACT2) in 2004, was named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow in 2019, and was honored as Chemistry Teacher of the Year by the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) in 2021.
As of 2024–25, Modic is currently president-elect of AACT and remains active in greater Houston, mentoring teachers, leading workshops, and expanding chemistry education opportunities. Among her proudest achievements is mentoring the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad teams (2012–14), whose students brought home gold and silver medals from the international competition.
After receiving the James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching, Modic has earned one of the highest honors in her field.
"Receiving this award is really still quite unbelievable. I have a handful of friends from around the country who have won it, and I am so honored to share this experience with them; they are all brilliant, and it is really humbling to be considered worthy."
Inspiring the Next Generation
When asked about the most rewarding part of her career, Modic said that meeting and working with colleagues from around the country has been a privilege, but it’s often the small, unexpected moments with students that mean the most.
"I had a student once tell me, after doing a little experiment, that she wanted to shrink herself down and fit into the container so she could watch the reaction up close," Modic said. "Comments like that make you realize that you are having a positive impact."
Modic believes that authenticity and enthusiasm are essential to engaging students today. Whether through chemistry-themed clothing, jokes of the week, or immersive lab experiences, she strives to make learning both fun and meaningful.
The growing number of national teaching awards suggests she's succeeding.
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
