David Pysnik began his teaching career as a chemistry instructor at Sidney High School in 1972. He came to Sidney after taking undergraduate studies at Juniata College in Huntington, PA and graduate studies at Indiana University, as well as serving for two years in the United States Army. In four decades of service, Mr. Pysnik has earned the reputation as an exemplary and legendary teacher who inspired his students to learn and excel. He believed "…if you treat a person for what he could be, he will become all he could be."
Significant among his many awards and honors are Teacher of the Year SCS, Rotary International Service Award, Outstanding Leadership in Science Education, two Service to Mankind Awards and two Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Teaching and Mentoring. In 2008, he was named Citizen of the Years in Sidney for his accomplishments.
He is well known for an uncanny ability to search out and receive grants for science equipment for the school and for educational initiatives such as the Mobile Science Laboratory. His adjunct professorships at SUNY Delhi, Ithaca College and Cornell University not only served higher education, but also gave opportunities for his high school students to reach out in research.
David, when in receipt of an invitation to appear before a Congressional Committee about his work as a teacher of chemistry and science research, made sure to include some of his students in the hearing viewed on C-Span.
Even in retirement from SCS David Pysnik
gives back to the community, serving on the Boards of the Library
and Tri-Town Theatre, and giving his time and talents to Sacred
Heart Church, Salvation Army Disaster Relief, the Upper
Susquehanna River Basin Study, as Adjunct General Chemistry
Professor at Hartwick College, and as Introduction to Research
Mentor at SHS.
Mr. Pysnik has five children and lives in Sidney with his wife,
Gaby.