Mr. Rich Kirkpatrick joined Padua’s faculty eight-and-a-half years ago, when he joined the Computer Science Department as a long-term substitute. The following year, he hit the ground running as a full-time teacher and soon after became the head of the department. He completely overhauled the curriculum, adding two Advanced Placement courses and was integral in the establishment of Padua’s MyTrack® programs. In 2021 he was awarded the prestigious St. Anthony Award for Teaching Excellence, as voted on by students in National Honors Society. Under Mr. Kirkpatrick, the dormant robotics program was resurrected and brought to prominence. After his year-long battle against hairy cell leukemia, a now cancer-free, Kirkpatrick has decided to retire from teaching to spend more time with his family. We wish him the best of luck!
