In college, regional high school chemistry teacher Dr. Natalie Munn studied art, two dimensional painting to be precise, as well as chemistry. She went on to get her doctorate in biochemistry, but she never forgot her love of art, and how it can play a part in science. In fact, it’s a subject she often uses to get students engaged in science.

“I used to have those kids who were saying ‘I’m more art than science,’ and I was like oh yeah? We’ll see.”

Mrs. Munn and her physics teacher husband, Dana Munn, have been teaching at the high school for 17 years. They founded the science fair in 2000. For the fair, Mrs. Munn’s students are allowed to engage in nearly any project that interests them as long as there is some tie to chemistry. Projects range from making mood rings to generating energy to a rain collector.

It’s during labs and projects that Mrs. Munn feels she gets to know her students best. One student chose to make a ceramic mug that can also hold a cookie for the fair.

“All of a sudden I realized this mug he’s been holding is a mug that he made,” she said. “I was like, You’re a really good ceramic artist.”

Mrs. Munn loves to bring out the inner chemistry lover in all of her students. Teaching juniors and seniors she also understands the feelings of transition that come with thinking about college. She remembers wanting to go to the northeast for college, but ultimately chose Center College, a local school in Kentucky where she is from, because of a scholarship.

“In high school it’s so hard when your friends are getting into fancy schools,” she said. “It’s hard to pick a less fancy school.”

Now she counts graduating debt free from college as one of the smartest things she did. And she was still was able to move to the northeast when she pursued her doctorate at Tufts, where she earned a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular physiology, and met her husband. Together they decided to try teaching, and both found jobs at the regional high school. Mr. Munn had family on the Vineyard, and as his cousins had just constructed a new house, they were able to buy the old house, circumnavigating one of the largest problems for teachers on the Vineyard.

“It just timed out unbelievably,” said Mrs. Munn.

Mrs. Munn worked as the department director for a number of years along with teaching and advising. After having her second child, she decided to give up the departmental director position to narrow her responsibilities and focus on working with the students. Currently she advises the MVironment club with Anna Cotton and the Engineering Challenge. Mrs. Munn has also created opportunities for students to do independent studies related to chemistry and take part in teaching assistant positions in her upper level classes.

One of her students last year, Timothy Roberts, is now enrolled at MIT. He named Mrs. Munn an especially influential teacher in his development.

“I was excited when Tim got into MIT,” Mrs. Munn said. “It’s always fun to see kids work really hard and then have those pieces come together.”