A scientist with class

One Friday morning in 2016, Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Jeff Favorite was dropping off his son at Mountain Elementary School when he heard a call over the intercom for a substitute music teacher. Favorite, co-founder of the exuberant community band the Hill Stompers, thought “Well, I’m not a professional musician, but I could do that for a day!” 

After a few logistical hurdles, he spent the day leading classes, loved it, and soon joined Los Alamos Public Schools as a part-time substitute. At least once a week for the past 10 years, Favorite has been in the classroom—usually at the local elementary schools and occasionally teaching math at the middle and high schools.

Though Favorite describes subbing a hobby, he takes it seriously. “Teachers need subs who can advance the class and not just babysit,” he explains. “But I usually have great fun on my school days. If it weren’t fun, I wouldn’t do it.” 

Favorite’s classes are lively and full of laughter—he’s been known to juggle scissors (don’t tell the principal)—but beneath the humor is a commitment to education. At the high school level, Favorite gives students practical advice about solving problems, reminding them that the skills they’re learning will serve them later in life. “Even after 30 years at the Lab, I still fill engineering pads with calculus and algebra,” he says. Favorite’s work in the Lab’s Radiation Transport Applications group involves complex calculations of radiation shielding and neutron criticality—proof that high school math does indeed provide a solid foundation for the real world. 

In lower grades, Favorite channels his enthusiasm into all subjects, but he is particularly passionate about mathematics. “I make a huge deal about how math is the best part of the day,” he says. “And I get pretend-mad if they disagree.” One of his most popular lessons involves the 1999 Mars Climate Orbiter crash caused by a mismatch of metric and imperial units. “When students forget to include units, I tell them they’ve crashed the spaceship,” he says. “When they remember, I cheer loudly. Hopefully, they remember the lesson.”

Favorite is also a familiar figure around Mountain Elementary another way. As the beloved Mountain Lion mascot, he delights students during assemblies and special events. “It’s very hot, very hard to breathe, and very hard to see,” he says of wearing the faux-fur costume with its giant feline head, “but the hugs make it worth it.”

Outside of school, Favorite and his wife, fourth-grade teacher Kandice Favorite, continue to lead the Hill Stompers, which have a presence at just about every community event from parades to fundraisers to local festivals. No musical experience is required to be in the band, but members are encouraged to be “colorful, creative, and just a little bit crazy.” Wielding his signature snare drum, Favorite often performs in flamboyant outfits and sometimes as a fire-breathing chicken. (How did he learn to breathe fire? “YouTube,” he says with a grin.) 

In a town as small as Los Alamos, many students who know Favorite from the classroom will spot him performing with the Hill Stompers and say hello. Favorite says these interactions are meaningful for both him and Kandice. “We want the kids to remember that we cared about them and supported them and that we still do,” he says. 

Whether he’s inspiring the next generation in the classroom or playing percussion dressed as a chicken, Favorite brings his best energy wherever he goes. “Things that are music-, theatre-, or kid-related are easy for me to be enthusiastic about,” he says. “Things that are all three are the best!” ★