Former Palmerton High School student Kirk Yeager has recently been honored with the distinguished Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal.

Yeager is renowned as the FBI’s go-to bomb expert. Having studied chemistry and explosives extensively over the course of his education and career, Yeager has amassed a wealth of knowledge that makes a huge impact in the states and beyond.Over the past few years, Yeager has been tapped to help with notable cases such as the al-Qaida bomb threat in the Arabian Peninsula in 2014. He has become pivotal to the FBI’s understanding of terrorist efforts, serving as lead explosive scientist in 2009’s underwear bomber arrest in Detroit, the attempted 2010 Times Square bombing, and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. He now serves as the FBI’s chief explosives scientist in Quantico, Virginia.“He is saving lives all over the world, not just in America,” said his father, Dr. Ronald A. Yeager.Yeager’s dedication to science and service was sparked by the efforts and influence of some key educators at Palmerton High School.“There’s two main teachers I have to thank. My chemistry teacher, Mata Curran, who was the chemistry teacher at Palmerton. She was a very, very good teacher. She explained chemistry so well, and it clicked for me,” Yeager said. “My dad was the English teacher. I watched him for my whole life dedicating his life to teaching. My sense of community service and dedication to a greater cause was pretty much inspired by him.”After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Lafayette, Yeager attended Cornell University, where he completed his doctorate in chemistry. Following that, Yeager took a position studying explosives at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, which also entailed educating law enforcement and other agencies on the subject.It was not long before Yeager drew the FBI’s attention — in a good way — and he was courted as a forensic examiner. What followed was a distinguished 10-year career of examining crime scenes, experimenting with new and novel explosives, and teaching private and government entities about bomb threats and safety measures.Yeager quickly advanced to become one of the FBI’s five senior laboratory scientists, a resident expert in his field, and the go-to source for information on explosives.“It feels good in a number of ways that you are respected by your colleagues. You’ve really got to be on your game. There is some weight that comes with it and some pride that comes with it,” Yeager said of his position.Nowadays, Yeager spends the majority of his time in the lab, focusing on research and lab work that further assists with bomb construction, chemistry and detection.“One of the things that is great about this job is, there’s no average day,” Yeager said. “The minute you walk in the door you don’t know what you’re going to do. That’s what keeps it fresh. Everything I do revolves around explosives. That’s the only common tie. Where it takes me depends on what’s going on in the world on that particular day.”Yeager’s efforts over the years have saved countless civilians, military personnel, and law enforcement officials across the globe. This year, he was recognized by the nonprofit organization Partnership for Public Service and received the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal in the category of National Security and International Affairs.“The universal feeling is that it is a humbling experience,” Yeager said of the honor. “You look at the accomplishments of all the other people and look at what they’ve done, and you feel really fortunate.”Despite the accolades, those who know Yeager remark that he maintains a down-to-earth attitude.“My son is extremely humble. He does not flaunt, he has no ego about this,” Ronald Yeager said.Most of all, Yeager stresses that he is no lone warrior, but a participant in an extensive network working toward the safety and security of people around the world.”I work with an amazing team of people. I am part of a greater whole. Nothing I’ve done has ever been done by myself,” Yeager said. “Being recognized for the contributions I’ve made is the icing on a much richer cake, if you will. It’s been a very rewarding experience.”