MOST President Larry Leatherman honored as Educator of the Year

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Partners for Education & Business (PEB) has named Larry Leatherman, president of the MOST, as its Educator of the Year.

PEB is an affiliate of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. The MOST is short for the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, which is located in Syracuse’s Armory Square.

PEB presented the award during a ceremony held June 10 at Le Moyne College, the MOST said in an email news release distributed on Saturday.

“What we typically do is scan the landscape and see who among education leaders we think deserves to be recognized,” Joseph Vargo, PEB executive director, said in the news release. “We’ve been working with Larry for years, so we knew about him. And we knew that he’s going to be retiring soon.”

Leatherman announced in late March that he will be retiring at the end of 2015. The board of trustees and the Foundation board have formed a search committee to find his replacement, and are aiming to have the new president in place by Dec. 1.

“I am honored that Partners for Education & Business chose to recognize me for this award,” Leatherman said in the news release. “Our strong education department and programs that cover all areas of science, technology, engineering, and math are what makes the MOST special.”

Under Leatherman’s leadership, the MOST expanded its outreach programs, made curriculum plans available for free on its website, began working closely with underrepresented youth in the Syracuse City School District, and created an extended learning program that brings hands-on science lessons into four Syracuse middle schools every day.

The museum also created five new permanent exhibits, with a sixth scheduled to open late this year.

Leatherman believes these initiatives are essential to creating the workforce of the future.

“We are facing serious issues, such as climate change and our use of fossil fuels,” he said. “Very important decisions need to be made, and soon. We need people trained to be able to deal with these issues.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: MOST President Larry Leatherman holds his award as Educator of the Year, as chosen by Partners for Education & Business, an affiliate of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York.  (submitted by Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology)