Daniel Valle is a 2022 Science Teacher of the Year nominee, Science Department Chair, and Zoo Program Manager at the nation’s only conservation biology-focused school – BioTECH @ Richmond Heights 9-12. Since becoming chair of their science department, Daniel has specialized in cultivating partnerships with like-minded stakeholders to provide his school with unique, real-world science experiences alongside professional collaborators in the field, culminating in student-led zoology and botany active research and symposium presentations on their findings.

Conservation is at the heart of what motivates Daniel both professionally and personally, optimistically believing that taking care of biodiversity and the planet means the greatest good to the greatest number for the longest time – humans included. Before transitioning to education 2 years ago, Daniel performed field research in the imperiled pine rockland habitat studying the ecology of threatened gopher tortoises and resulting in multiple publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

In the summers, Daniel enjoys traveling, working seasonal jobs in remote places such as Alaska, wildlife photography, and collecting stickers for his National Parks Passport.