Deborah is the co-founder of Girls Rock STEM, an educational program for underrepresented female middle school students in the STEM fields. She was named to the inaugural class of Master Teachers by the State of New York, is the recipient of the 2009 Science Teachers Association of New York (STANYS-SE) Earth Science Teacher of the Year, a 2015 finalist for New York State Teacher-of-the-Year. Deborah is a Regeneron STEM Teaching Fellow, National Geographic Certified Educator and has received multiple research grants from the National Science Foundation, the College Board, the American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences, the National Urban Alliance, and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. She has been an adjunct member of the Bard College MAT Faculty and Citizen Science Program since 2015, as well as being an adjunct in the MAT Program at Marist College and SUNY Empire State College where she is a Clinical Supervisor. Deborah is a member of the SUNY Maritime College Council.