Meet the Gem-azing Michelle Paull from Lincoln Prep

Dr. Michelle Paull serves the students and faculty at Lincoln Prep, a Great Hearts academy in Chandler, Ariz., as the assistant headmaster where she also teaches 8^th grade science. Earth and the planetary sciences have always been a passion of hers, inspired by her father, an engineer working on the Hubble Space Telescope. With her impressive pedigree, education, and resume in geology, she shines bright like a diamond, literally!

Paull was born in Wyoming while her father studied astrophysics in graduate school before moving to a small town in Pennsylvania while she was still very young. “I was an only child but grew up very closely with some other children in my neighborhood that I also call family,” she recalled.

She completed a B.S. in geoscience at the University of Arizona. She continued her studies in Germany, where she got a master’s degree in experimental geosciences at the University of Bayreuth. “It was a big risk to move out of the country to pursue my graduate degree. Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of Earth Science and develop the skills to communicate with people from a variety of different backgrounds and working styles, it was an experience where I learned so much about myself and who I want to be. I am also really proud of my work studying minerals in diamonds. Developing new and non-invasive techniques to study minerals inside diamonds has helped us understand Earth’s interior better, and much like with my students, that is an impact that will far outlive me,” she shared.

After moving back to the United States, she obtained a Ph.D. in Earth & planetary science at Northwestern University in Illinois. She also did an internship at the Gemological Institute of America, where she used her expertise to characterize properties across a suite of different research diamonds. “As a research scientist, I was involved in a discovery of a new mineral, now called Goldschmidtite.” Some of her work was published in Nature (under her maiden name, Michelle Wenz).

“Having multiple degrees in various Earth science fields, I have always been passionate about science and education. While I always enjoyed the various types of research I  was pursuing, I loved getting the opportunity to teach other young scientists,” she said. “After completing my Ph.D., I moved out to Arizona to get closer to family and applied to various research and educational opportunities, where I discovered a position at Great Hearts Lincoln Prep teaching Earth science. I connected with Great Heart’s philosophy and was excited at the opportunity to join the network.”

Since arriving at Lincoln Prep, she has tackled several different opportunities, including master teacher of the science department, dean of students, yearbook coordinator, summer school coordinator, clarinet player in the Lincoln Prep band, and now as assistant headmaster. “With each role, I have gotten to expand my interaction with students not just in my classroom, but across the campus as a whole, as well as getting to coach and mentor our excellent Lincoln Prep faculty,” she said. “The Lincoln Prep faculty are like my second family. I am so thankful to all my mentors within the network, especially [Headmaster] Tope who really modeled excellent leadership and people skills.”

Paull learned as a research scientist that things rarely work out the way you expect them to, which required her to think on her feet in order to fix things in the moment with creative solutions. “This adaptability is critical in teaching,” she shared. “Various sections will go at their own pace, and sometimes a certain concept doesn’t quite click in the same way with one class as it might another, so as teachers we have to adjust on the spot. Knowing Earth Science content inside and out from my studies has helped me communicate complex Earth Science concepts to students in a way they will understand.”

With her background, you could imagine that Paull could do almost anything she wanted to, but says she loves that she has such a fulfilling and rewarding job in teaching. “While I get to share my passion for Earth Science, I more importantly get to help these students grow as learners, as scientists, and as individuals,” she said. “The best part of my day is interacting with and getting to know all of the students on campus. It is an incredible experience getting to watch some of the students I first taught grow up and graduate. Even though I grew up in a small town, my high school was fairly large and served multiple towns. It was easy to get lost in a big public school like that. At Lincoln Prep and Great Hearts in general, we get to know the students so much more. I can see such a clear difference from when they first enter my classroom to when I watch them defend their senior thesis and take all of their learning to heart.”

When Paull is not teaching, she said she is usually spending time with her husband and two children. And surprisingly, this scientist has a creative side. “I especially enjoy  doing all sorts of arts & crafts with my daughter and look forward to doing the same with my son when he gets a little older. Outside of my family, I really enjoy doing woodworking, either turning pens on the lathe or making furniture. Also, I love photography, especially taking pictures of wildlife and the great outdoors. I have enjoyed getting to share that passion for photography with our student led yearbook team.” Paull said she also enjoys visiting national parks and especially exploring the caves at Carlsbad Caverns.

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