Dr. Michael Fromerth is a science teacher at University High School. He specializes in chemistry.

Dr. Fromerth has earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry at the University of Connecticut and a Doctorate in physics at the University of Arizona.

“My dissertation deals with physical processes occurring around the supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies.” He said.

Dr. Fromerth has been at UHSSE for 17 years, including three years in the old building on Elizabeth Street before the Mark Twain Drive building was completed.

His first teaching job was when he was going to graduate school at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He was a lecturer for a college physics class.

“I would teach in large halls with around 300 students at a time!” Dr. Fromerth said.

Dr. Fromerth never considered teaching as a career until graduate school. He explained that graduate students in science programs get paid a stipend but are assigned various duties to earn their pay. He was assigned to teaching.

“Once I got up in front of those classes, I felt an energy from inside. Sharing my passion for science, working with the students, helping them make connections, I knew that I had found my calling.” He said.

Dr. Fromerth also said “I love getting students excited about learning about how the world works.” when asked what he loved about teaching.

On top of teaching regular chemistry classes, he also teaches UConn ECE Chemistry.

In ECE Chemistry, the topics are mostly the same as a regular chemistry class but are more in-depth and very rigorous.

“The ECE students get a better understanding of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ things work, including the mathematics beyond the scientific laws and theories.” Dr. Fromerth said.

He also had several non-teaching jobs over the years. Some of them include running the daily operations of a science publishing website at Cornell, working in the drug discovery program at Pfizer pharmaceuticals in Groton, and working a temp job for a year.

When asked if he had any advice for students looking to go into the science field in the future, he had this to say:

“Perseverance is the biggest factor for success. Being a science major can be very challenging. There are going to be times when you feel over your head, but don’t despair — get help from professors, form a study group, and devote the time to learn. Also, get involved in research as early as possible in your educational journey.”