Image by Ed Brennen
School of Education alumna and adjunct instructor Tara Goodhue '09, '20, center, chats with former students Melissa Costa, left, and Meghan Kimitis at Coburn Hall. Goodhue is the 2026 Massachsuetts Teacher of the Year.
The 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year is a Double River Hawk — and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education.
Tara Goodhue ’09, ’20, a science teacher at Lowell High School and head of the school’s science department, received the state’s top educator award in December.
The Chelmsford native earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in secondary education from UMass Lowell and later returned for a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in leadership and schooling with a STEM concentration. She credits the university’s educator preparation programs with shaping both her teaching philosophy and her leadership path.
“UMass Lowell helped me get where I am today,” Goodhue says. “The Ed.D. program gave me the tools I needed to take my career to the next level.”
Goodhue earned the School of Education’s Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2020 for doctoral research examining how participation in citizen science projects shapes students’ attitudes about science.
Her thesis advisor, Professor Iman Chahine, says Goodhue’s Teacher of the Year award is a “richly deserved recognition of an educator whose work elevates students’ confidence, performance and sense of belonging in science.”
Image by Ed Brennen
"The Ed.D. program gave me the tools I needed to take my career to the next level," says Tara Goodhue '09, '20, the 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.
Goodhue’s connection to UMass Lowell began when she was preparing to enter the teaching profession after completing her undergraduate degree in biology at Clark University. Drawn by the School of Education’s reputation and its ties to Greater Lowell, she enrolled in the master’s program, where she was influenced by faculty members such as Patricia Fontaine, Michelle Scribner and the late David Lustick.
Goodhue served as a teaching assistant at the Bartlett School and secured her first teaching position at Greater Lowell Technical High School, where she was named Environmental Educator of the Year by the National Association of Biology Teachers in 2020.
After completing her doctorate, Goodhue became a UTeach mentor and then an adjunct instructor in the School of Education, teaching integrated science courses to future elementary educators.
Image by Brooke Coupal
Tara Goodhue, left, examines a sap flow sensor with two of her Lowell High School science students during a 2023 project with Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Assistant Professor Joy Winbourne.
“Her personality brought the class to life,” says Kimtis, a senior from New London, New Hampshire, who recalls making up rhymes and singing in Goodhue’s course.
“She always did things differently,” adds Costa, a senior from Lowell who remembers going outside to dance during a class.
That same student-centered approach defines Goodhue’s work at Lowell High, where she likes to take students out of the classroom to observe wildlife in the school’s urban environment. She also worked with students to launch a schoolwide recycling program.
“Making a connection with students is the No. 1 priority,” she says. “It’s more than teaching the facts — it’s about making human connections.”
Goodhue was among 214 nominees who were invited to apply for the Teacher of the Year award. She decided to apply in part because of a $10,000 classroom grant that came with the title.
“We don’t have a ton of resources at Lowell High,” she says. “I love taking my students on field trips, but the cost of buses can be prohibitive, so I thought, ‘Why not apply?’”
The announcement came during an assembly at Lowell High in December.
“It was really special,” Goodhue says. “I had my dad, my fiancé, his son, my students and people from the community all in the same place. It felt like all my worlds collided.”
Image by Ed Brennen
Tara Goodhue, right, catches up with senior education majors Meghan Kimtis, left and Melissa Costa, who were both in her very first course as an adjunct instructor at UMass Lowell.
She hopes to use the platform to learn from educators across the country and bring new ideas back to Massachusetts classrooms.
“I’m committed to finding sustainable ways to connect community members, organizations and schools to make outdoor learning a regular and enriching part of every student’s education,” says Goodhue, who runs a consulting practice focused on science education and research. She also serves as an evaluator for the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology program, which supports schools in using hands-on environmental research to deepen student engagement in science.
While the award has opened doors on a national stage, Goodhue says its impact is most visible in her work at Lowell High.
“A lot of kids in the hallway will say, ‘That’s the Teacher of the Year,’ and they give me shoutouts,” Goodhue says. “They’re really proud, and I attribute this award to them. My students are amazing. It’s easy to be great when you’re around young people who make you laugh, and I get to go to work every day having fun and talking about science.”