Newark Educator Wins Princeton Prize For Distinguished Secondary School Teaching

Press release from the Newark Board of Education:

NEWARK, N.J. – Dr. Davine Floy, a biology teacher at The Newark School of Data Science & Information Technology (NSDSIT) who happens to be a physician, has been named a recipient of the Princeton Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching.

Dr. Floy is one of four New Jersey high school teachers who will be honored during Princeton University’s commencement on Tuesday, May 27th, according to a press release issued by the university.

Asked how it feels to have won the Princeton Prize, Dr. Floy said, “surreal.”

“It is truly a full circle moment in a journey which began with a dream to teach after high school at my alma mater, Queens College,” she said. “That request was initially denied, but now I understand that it was only delayed to prepare me for something bigger.”

Dr. Floy originally began teaching at East Side High School in 2016 and transferred to NSDSIT in 2023. Before her teaching career, Dr. Floy worked in anesthesiology and critical care at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Guyana, where she was born. She has also conducted research in post-traumatic stress disorder at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University – Newark, under the supervision of Distinguished Professor Denis Paré.

“After successfully practicing and thoroughly enjoying medicine, I left to begin a new path of fulfilling that old dream,” said Dr. Floy. “This honor affirms that every detour has a purpose. I am exactly where I was always meant to be. Nothing’s missing.”

Dr. Liana M. Summey, Principal of the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology, had nominated Dr. Floy for the honor.

“Dr. Floy exemplifies the highest ideals of what it means to be an educator, blending brilliance, compassion, and unwavering dedication to empowering her students as thinkers, leaders, and changemakers,” Dr. Summey said. “We are immensely proud to celebrate her well-deserved Princeton Prize, a powerful recognition of her extraordinary teaching and the lasting impact she makes every single day.”

Superintendent León and Board of Education President Hasani K. Council congratulated Dr. Floy

“Dr. Floy’s recognition by Princeton University is a profound affirmation of the caliber of educators we have in Newark Public Schools,” said Superintendent León. “Her journey from physician to transformational teacher is nothing short of inspiring. Dr. Floy represents the brilliance, dedication, and heart that define our district’s commitment to excellence in education. We are immensely proud of her and grateful for her dedication to our students.”

“On behalf of the Newark Board of Education, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Floy for receiving the Princeton Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching. Her story reminds us that educators change lives not just with knowledge but with purpose and passion. Dr. Floy is a shining example of the excellence we celebrate in Newark Public Schools, and this honor brings well-deserved recognition to her impact in the classroom and beyond.”

As part of the honor of the Princeton Prize, Dr. Floy will receive $5,000, and NSDSIT will receive an additional $3,000 to purchase library books. Princeton University has held a tradition of honoring New Jersey secondary school teachers since 1959 after the Ivy League university received an anonymous gift from an alumnus to establish the program.

This press release was produced by the Newark Board of Education. The views expressed here are the author’s own.