Highland Park High School AP and organic chemistry teacher Wenzen Chuang has been awarded the “Tech Titans of Future” award by the Technology Association for North Texas, the largest technology trade association in Texas.
The Tech Titan award recognizes a high school math or science teacher for the development and implementation of an innovative teaching technique or program that inspires student interest in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). Chuang was nominated for the award by former student Cameron Laurie, a current sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin studying medicine.
In his nomination form, Laurie credits Chuang for encouraging him to pursue a career in science. “He truly stimulated my enthusiasm for science and my desire to pursue medicine in order to take what I have learned in my education and use it to help people for the greater good.”
Former HPHS student and current aeronautical space engineering student at Texas A&M August Ryan submitted a letter of support to accompany Chuang’s Tech Titan nomination. Ryan wrote, “He has been an inspiration to hundreds of students during his time at my high school, and I believe he deserves recognition for his brilliant teaching and pedagogy.”
Chuang joined the HPHS faculty in 2000. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a master's in instructional technology from Texas Tech University. Chuang also coaches the HPHS UIL Academic Team and serves as president-elect for the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association (TMSCA).
“Wenzen Chuang is truly a master educator,” HPHS Principal Jeremy Gilbert said. “He has the unique talent of challenging his students with high-level content while offering support tailored to the needs of his students. The results consistently are not only successful students, but more importantly, happy students.”
“All that I’ve been able to do throughout my teaching career has not happened in a vacuum,” Chuang said. “I have my wife, family, colleagues and school administrators to thank for their support. I’ve been fortunate enough to end up in a school that is as exceptional as Highland Park High School, and I am humbled to receive this recognition.”
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Chuang was featured in the Park Cities People’s January 2023 STEAM newspaper insert as an award-winning chemistry teacher. The story appears in Section B on page 40.
“I believe the purpose of education is to learn how to think and technology is a huge part of it,” Chuang said. “We learn by making mistakes. The use of technology allows students to take chances and try something new, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes and then try again.”
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