Hillary Brown is a physics and geology teacher here at Ida B. Wells. She went to the University of Arizona and majored in geoscience before going to the University of Wyoming and got a PHD in geophysics. Before she was a teacher, she was a geophysicist for an oil rig in Huston, Texas. She enjoyed being able to do earth science through them but she didn’t care for the end goal so working there didn’t make her excited. While living in Houston, Brown realized that depending on the neighborhood that you live in, it will determine the level of education that students will receive. “I felt like I could do more good for the world as a teacher than as somebody looking for oil,” says Brown. She started teaching 12 years ago in Huston, Texas and also taught in New Mexico before moving to Portland to be closer to family. She has been a teacher at Ida B. Wells for nine years and her favorite thing is the students. In her free time she enjoys trying new food, traveling and going rafting.

Written by Abby Drucker, Intro to Journalism, Fall 2023