A K-12 teacher can help shape the path to engineering long before a student steps into a college classroom.
For Aidan Tafelski, a recent Michigan State University College of Engineering graduate, that early influence came from his mother.
Julie James Tafelski, a longtime Livonia Public Schools educator and MSU alumna, has received the 2026 Green Apple Teaching Award from the MSU College of Engineering.
The award is presented annually to a K-12 teacher who has inspired students to study math, science and engineering. Tafelski was nominated by Aidan, who earned a bachelor’s degree in applied engineering sciences and said his mother helped spark his curiosity about the natural world and encouraged him to keep asking why.
“I nominated my mom for this mostly because she was the one that sparked my interest in nature and always asking ‘why,’” Aidan said. “Having this trait of always questioning why things are the way that they are has ultimately led me to become an engineer.”
Tafelski teaches science courses at Churchill High School in Livonia Public Schools, including biology, bioethics, AP Environmental Science and ecology. She has taught for 35 years, including 31 years at Churchill High School.
Her nomination highlighted a teaching career focused on curiosity, critical thinking and helping students see science in the world around them. Aidan said some of his earliest memories of learning from his mother came during walks in the woods, where she could identify plants and insects and explain the science behind them.
That same sense of curiosity became part of her classroom.
Tafelski said receiving the Green Apple Teaching Award from MSU was especially meaningful because of her lifelong connection to the university.
“As a Spartan for life, this meant the world to me,” she said. “To be recognized for my life’s work by my alma mater is very significant, to say the least.”
The Green Apple Teaching Award was established in 2006 at the suggestion of College of Engineering Alumni Board member Joseph M. Colucci, a 1958 mechanical engineering graduate. Each year, graduating seniors nominate teachers who helped inspire their interest in math, science and engineering. The recipient is selected by the Engineering Undergraduate Studies Committee.
Tafelski earned a bachelor’s degree in social science teaching from the MSU College of Social Science in 1990. She said her time at MSU helped shape her as a critical thinker and influenced her approach to education, including her work to create classroom spaces where students feel supported and heard.
That approach also helped lead to one of her proudest professional accomplishments: creating a bioethics course for Livonia Public Schools. Tafelski developed the curriculum, gathered the resources and advocated for the course’s adoption. The course is now in its 12th year across all three Livonia high schools.
She said the course reflects one of her core goals as an educator: helping students think deeply, use their voices and learn from the world around them.
Over the years, Tafelski has emphasized hands-on learning, outdoor experiences and student curiosity. She said she has always wanted students to look forward to science and feel comfortable being themselves in her classroom.
The award also carries special meaning for the Tafelski family. Julie Tafelski is an MSU alumna, and her children include fellow Spartans. Her daughter, Micala, graduated from MSU Engineering in 2020, and Aidan graduated from the College of Engineering in May.
Micala said her mother’s recognition was meaningful for the family.
“I always wished that I had an opportunity to have her as a teacher, and she is the most deserving person in the world for this award,” Micala said. “It was an honor to see my brother Aidan present this award to my mom.”
As she reflects on her career, Tafelski said she hopes students leave her classroom with confidence, curiosity and a willingness to take risks.
“I remind them a lot that fear is a liar,” Tafelski said. “I want them to believe in themselves and develop the confidence to take risks in life.”
She also hopes students continue to spend time outside and appreciate the natural world.
For Aidan, the Green Apple Teaching Award recognizes the impact his mother has had on her family and on generations of students.
“There is no doubt in my mind that she not only inspired me and my sister to become engineers, but hundreds of other students as well,” he said.
Tafelski received the 2026 Green Apple Teaching Award during the Engineering Alumni Awards banquet in East Lansing.
Written by Austin Witt.
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page