Bay School Faculty and Staff Biographies
2008-2009 Academic Year

Shellie Banks – Spanish and French
A native of Philadelphia, Shellie graduated from Ohio State University in 1980 with a major in Spanish and a minor in French. She began teaching during her junior year in college at Learning Unlimited, an elementary and preschool.

Shellie moved to Los Angeles in 1982 where she taught 7th and 8th graders for seven years at United World International Learning Center in South Central Los Angeles before moving on to the Little Citizens Westside Academy, where she taught in special education programs for three years. In 1992 Shellie joined Pacific Hills School, an independent school located in West Hollywood, where she oversaw the foreign language department, taught Spanish and French, and coached cross country and track. From 1999-2004 she taught Spanish at the Chadwick School, a coeducational independent K-12 school in Palos Verdes, California.

When Shellie isn’t in the classroom teaching she spends her time traveling around the world and getting to know people. She has traveled extensively in Mexico, throughout Latin America and Europe, having led many student trips to these areas. She spends summers in Panama teaching English, traveling, and developing study units for her students. Her other hobbies include collecting foreign books and music and participating in track and field. At the Bay School, Shellie teaches Spanish and French.

Ana Barrios - Spanish
A native Spanish speaker, Ana Barrios was born and grew up in the Canary Islands, Spain. She earned her Modern Languages degree in English Philology (ESL Education) from the Faculty of Arts at the University of La Laguna in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands in 2001 and began to teach Spanish as a foreign language in her 4th year of college while teaching exchange students in the Socrates-Erasmus program at Athens University, Greece in
1998-1999.

In 2002 Ana came to the United States to teach Spanish at a small independent school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Between 2003 and 2008 she taught Spanish Language and Culture at the elementary, middle, and high school levels at independent and public schools in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. In addition to being fluent in Spanish and English, Ana also speaks Modern Greek and Classic Arabic.

Ana joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2008 and teaches Spanish. Outside of the classroom Ana enjoys swimming, yoga, and trekking.

Ana Bayat – French and Spanish
Raised in Spain by her Iranian parents, Ana is a native speaker of Persian and Spanish. A total immersion elementary school added French to Ana’s repertoire, and subsequent education and experience have given her fluency in English, German, and Italian. With a B.A. in English Language and Linguistics from Roehampton London Institute and an M.A. in Media Studies from London College of Music, Ana has taught and tutored a number of languages in a variety of settings. Prior to joining the Bay School faculty in fall 2006 she taught Spanish and French at the Oakland School for the Arts.

Ana brings a richly varied intellectual and cultural background to the Bay School where she teaches upper level classes in Spanish and French. She also has a passionate devotion to the theatre and is active in several theatrical enterprises in the Bay Area.

Sharon Brock -- Science
Sharon earned both a BA in Biological Sciences and a Master's degree in Education from UC Santa Barbara. During her master's year, Sharon worked at outdoor schools and developed curriculum for environmental education. She taught for three years at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, teaching Advanced Placement Biology, Biology, Physiology and a peer counseling course. While at Terra Linda, Sharon also co-authored the Biology curriculum, was a mentor teacher, and served as the varsity girls' volleyball coach.

Sharon returned to academia to earn an MS degree in Journalism from Columbia University in New York City. She pursued a career in science journalism and wrote for UC San Francisco, covering such topics as stem cell research, global AIDS research and clinical care, alternative medicine, and research related to adolescent health.

Sharon joined the Bay School faculty in the fall 2008 and teaches Chemistry, Biology, Bioethics, and Field Biology. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, snowboarding, camping, acting, and running with her dog, Daisy. Sharon also has a daily meditation and yoga practice. "My role as a teacher is to build confidence in students so they feel safe to voice their ideas and develop critical thinking skills, as well as create opportunities for them to discover their unique talents and inner reservoirs of strength and creativity," she says.

Darrick Broudy – Humanities, Social Studies, and Music
Following his graduation from Morehouse College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Darrick began teaching at Balboa High School in San Francisco. There he developed a curriculum teaching United States history with a multicultural emphasis to an extremely diverse student body. His experience also included interdisciplinary collaboration with English, science, math, and media arts teachers in the Communication Arts Academy program.

In 2001 Darrick earned his Master of Arts degree in education from CSU San Francisco. While serving as social studies department head at Balboa High School in 2002-2003, Darrick directed curriculum development and program implementation. During 2003-2004 Darrick was a member of the faculty at Arrowsmith Academy in Berkeley, California where he taught world civilizations and diversity studies, and served as a faculty advisor to student extra-curricular clubs.

As a member of the Bay School’s founding faculty, Darrick brings his knowledge and instructional experience in the area of interdisciplinary curriculum development to teaching an integrated humanities curriculum on the freshman and sophomore levels.

William P. (Bill) Brown, Jr. – Humanities and Advanced Literature Electives
Bill came to the Bay School in 2004 with twenty-seven years of teaching experience at the high school level. Following his graduation with a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in 1976, Bill joined the English Department at Nichols School in Buffalo, New York where he taught in the upper school for sixteen years. He received his M.A. in English literature from SUNY Buffalo in 1991, graduating with distinction.

From 1994 through spring 2004, Bill served on the faculty of the upper school at Holland Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was chairman of the English Department and all-school coordinator of faculty development. He believes that “teachers who continue to grow in their work are the ones most likely to help students experience success and satisfaction.” Bill teaches Writing Workshop to freshmen in addition to upper class literature elective courses, and serves as an advisor to the Humanities program. Bill’s interests include a love for reading and writing poetry, and for outdoor adventures such as mountain climbing and camping.

Craig Butz – Humanities, Research and the Community
Craig grew up in small-town Ohio and chose to make education a career after spending summers during college as a camp counselor and naturalist.He earned his BS in English Education in 1995 and a MA in English Language and Literature, with an emphasis on creative non-fiction, from OhioUniversity in 2004 where he also spent two years as a visiting instructor teaching formal writing skills.His more than ten years of high school teaching experience includes urban college preparatory high schools and rural vocational career centers. Before joining the Bay School faculty in fall 2008, Craig taught Humanities at High Tech High Bayshore in Redwood City and at the Art Institute of California in San Francisco.

Craig's approach to teaching blends the hands-on project-based approaches he learned while teaching vocational students and working at High Tech High with the rigorous academic focus of his university level instruction.His goal is to give students the tools they need to follow their curiosity, enabling them to learn independently.

When he isn't teaching, Craig pursues his many other interests: ceramics, photography and cycling.Although he's a bit of a tech geek, he is also an adventurous traveler.He's driven through 48 states to visit the southern-most, eastern-most, and northwestern-most points in the contiguous US, has traveled to 15 foreign countries on four continents, and hopes to visit many more.

Edward Chen – Director of Educational Technology
With a B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley, Edward Chen began his technology career as a technical writer. He quickly moved into overseeing technology implementations as personal computing began to permeate the business environment, and has built fifteen years of technology management experience working with companies to develop their technology infrastructure and programs.

In November 2000, he joined KQED, the San Francisco Bay Area's premier public broadcasting company, as Director of Information Technology. Edward spearheaded the overhaul of KQED's technology infrastructure to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of digital broadcasting. In this capacity, he held key roles in various cutting-edge projects from developing multi-platform broadcast networksand production workflow solutions for television and radio to re-creating KQED.org, implementing high-end network infrastructure, and deploying Web 2.0, security and member support technologies. Throughout, he has applied his passion for education to train others and to advocate for using technology in meaningful and productive ways.

Having a passion for lifelong learning and personal growth, Edward returned to school and completed his M.B.A. in 2004. He joined the Bay School as Director of Educational Technology in August 2007 to share his knowledge and expertise in providing strategic and operational leadership that will enable the school to fulfill its technological vision.

Miles Chen – Physics and Studio Art
Miles entered the University of California at Berkeley as an art major in 1993 and graduated four years later with Bachelor degrees in Physics, Astronomy, and Studio Art. While studying for his undergraduate degrees, he served as a course reader in the Department of Astronomy where he was responsible for evaluating student homework and exams. He then spent the following two years as a research assistant at CAL in the Physics Department, and as an academic consultant at the National Science Foundation.

In 1997 Miles returned to U.C. Berkeley to assume teaching positions in the Physics and Astronomy Departments, where his work focused on curriculum development and professional training programs for graduate instructors. From 2001-2002 he was a lecturer in the Physics Department where he developed an introductory physics curriculum for scientists and engineers. During the 2003-2004 academic year Miles taught physics and geometry on the high school level at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco—finding that teaching freshman physics was the most rewarding experience of his teaching career. At the Bay School, Miles especially enjoys the opportunity of developing a science curriculum that connects math and science with art.

During the 2007-2008 academic year Miles teaches Conceptual Physics, Astrophysics, Drawing and Painting courses, as well as coaching JV soccer and varsity baseball.

Lori Cohen – Humanities and Advanced Literature Electives
Lori earned her Bachelor of English degree, cum laude, in 1998 from the University of California, at Davis. From 2000 through spring 2005 Laurie taught English on the high school level at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento. In addition, she taught the 10th grade HISP Honors course (Humanities and International Studies Program) in Middle Eastern and Asian Literature. A year spent abroad living in Israel encouraged her love of Middle Eastern literature, and has inspired her to teach the literature and culture of this region to her high school students. While at C.K. McClatchy Lori also taught a 10th grade writing skills course designed to build student skills in the academic and creative genres. During the 2003-2004 school year she coordinated the school's Humanities program.

Lori has been very active in a number of professionally related programs. She has served as a teaching consultant to the Area 3 Writing Project (part of the National Writing Project), for which she created and presented workshops in technology, Socratic seminars, and alternative approaches to teaching and writing that included persuasive writing, and using "voice" in academic writing.

She has sponsored and served as an advisor to numerous student clubs and activities throughout her career—enjoying the experience of working with high school students outside of the classroom as well as within it. From 2000-2003 Lori was the assistant rowing coach of the U.C. Davis women's rowing team and assisted the team in winning back to back championships in 2002 and 2003. Considering herself an amateur filmmaker who examines Jewish identity from a humorous standpoint, she is an avid movie fan and also enjoys painting and writing.

During the 2007-2008 academic year Lori teaches Humanities courses as well as 11th and 12th grade literature electives.

Liz Colleran – Mathematics
With a B.S. cum laude (2000) and an M.A.T. (2002) in Secondary Mathematics from Cornell University, Liz began her teaching career at Great Neck South High School on Long Island (NY) in September 2002. In her four years at Great Neck South, Liz taught a wide range of Math classes, from Algebra I to Advanced Placement Statistics. She also developed curricula for several new courses currently being phased in by the New York State Board of Regents. At South High Liz created Statistics for the Social Sciences, a course that focused on a cross-disciplinary approach to the statistical analysis of problems in the social sciences. She is especially interested in helping students understand the connections between mathematics and their lives. Technology is an integral part of her classroom. Liz teaches Mathematics levels I and II at the Bay School during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Liz has a great appreciation for art, and enjoys painting. She is currently teaching herself encaustic painting techniques. She was a varsity equestrienne at Cornell and is a budding triathlete.

Catherine (Katy) Cryer – Mathematics 
Katy joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2007 following five years of teaching at the American School Foundation (ASF) in Mexico City. Her undergraduate degree in Mathematics was earned at Portland State University and she was awarded a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2008. During her years at ASF, Katy taught in the International Baccalaureate Program and developed a course in the History of Math. She was also very active in the school’s outing and community service clubs. She is an avid painter and a devotee of yoga. “It is my job as an educator,” Katy believes, “to take students on a journey that has the potential to fundamentally change the way they view and understand the world.”

Matthew Eddy – Academic Dean and Biology
A Bay Area native, Matt grew up on the Peninsula and following his graduation from Palo Alto High School moved east to attend Yale University where he majored in Biology. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude from Yale in 1993, he began his teaching career on the high school level as a science instructor at Potomac School in McLean, Virginia. While there from 1993-1997, Matt also helped to establish a vigorous outdoor education program that included kayaking, canoeing, and backpacking trips in addition to rock climbing, orienteering, and camp crafts. During the summers he was engaged in a mixture of travel and community service projects-—working with Oakland, CA teens on a stream restoration project, and serving as an intern at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

Matt left Potomac School in 1997 to pursue an interest in learning to use his hands; he worked for a year as an apprentice house builder in Massachusetts and spent a second year serving with Americorps for Habitat for Humanity in Menlo Park, CA. These experiences afforded him the opportunity to learn many aspects of house construction, and he hopes someday to build his own home. In 1999 Matt returned to Yale University to earn his Masters degree in Forest Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies where his thesis focused on the management of over-abundant deer in suburban forests. Following his masters program he returned to the West Coast to teach 11th and 12th grade science at Menlo School in Atherton, CA.

Nicolas Fiszman – Physics, Chemistry, and Advanced Science Electives
After twelve distinguished years teaching at the Waring School in Massachusetts, Nic joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2006, bringing both experience and a wide range of interests. Born and raised in France, Nic received his B.S. in Geology and Geodynamics at the Université d’Orsay. He went on to earn an M.S. in Geophysics from MIT before joining the faculty at Waring, where he served as Math Department Head and coached soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. In addition, Nic directed the summer ArtWorks Camp at Waring from 1994 -2005.

During the 2007-2008 academic year Nic teaches Chemistry, Conceptual Physics, and advanced level science courses in Geology and Hydrology.

Steve Glass – Athletic Director
Steve joined the Bay School as its founding athletic director in 2004, coming from Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco where he held the position of athletic director from 1992-2004. While at CSB he developed and directed a comprehensive physical education program for boys ranging from kindergarten through middle school. Prior to his tenure at Cathedral, he held the position of sports coordinator for adult and youth programs at the Stonestown YMCA in San Francisco. He began his athletic career in professional baseball as a player and coach for the Atlanta Braves. In October of 2004 Steve was inducted into the San Francisco State University Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his many career achievements as both an athlete and coach.

Steve's goal is to build a competitive and inclusive athletic program for Bay School student-athletes that is built upon a strong foundation of teamwork and fair play. As Steve expresses it, “Winning and losing are temporary—but the skills that are developed through athletics last a lifetime.”

Terry Gomes – Computer Science
Terry graduated magna cum laude from San Francisco State University in 1981, with degrees in English and Computer Science. Over the past twenty-five years, he has shaped a successful career as a software project manager, programmer, and technical writer. Terry helped to design and build such products as Super CAD (3D mechanical engineering), Harvard Graphics (business graphics), Quicken Financial Planner (personal finance), eTag Informer (genomics and proteomics), and Protrade.com (a sports fantasy start-up combining market dynamics and a proprietary means of evaluating an athlete’s in-game performance). He is currently a project manager and programmer for InfoEnable Biotech and Life Sciences Consultants.

At the Bay School during the 2007-2008 academic year Terry teaches Digital Media Essentials and advanced computer science courses.

Ellen Greenblatt – Literature, Humanities, and Writing Workshop 
With a BA in English from Cornell and a MAT in English from Yale, Ellen was a teacher of literature and writing at University High School in San Francisco for sixteen years. She has been a consultant to the College Board for Advanced Placement English and has served on test development committees for the SAT Literature exam. She regularly speaks and publishes on a variety of subjects involving the teaching of English in high schools.  “In some sense,” Ellen writes, “I feel as if I have been preparing for such a position [at Bay] for my whole career.  My desire is to help students learn how to navigate in a world of ambiguity and uncertainty.  My goal is to lead students to an understanding that exploring different answers, even as they know there will be no unequivocally right answer, is the richness of education—and of life.”

Matt Hannibal – Freshman Dean, Assistant Director of College Counseling
Matt Hannibal graduated from Brown University in 1999 with a B. A. in Religious Studies. During his summers while attending Brown, Matt began teaching at Exploration Summer Programs, an academic enrichment program for students entering grades 4–12. Following graduation, Matt continued to work for Exploration in their year-round office as the assistant to the head of the junior program. For two years Matt organized and conducted faculty recruitment, curriculum development and class design, as well as general program development and organization. While with Exploration during the summers, Matt worked as the dean of students, overseeing student life and supervising the faculty.

Following his time with Exploration, Matt worked in Colorado teaching sixth grade at the Kent Denver School, and teaching fourth grade at Presidio Hill School in San Francisco. At Kent, Matt helped to implement an interdisciplinary approach to learning, focusing on the cultures of four main regions of the world. Throughout the year, students studied the history, cultures, and environments of Africa, the Middle East, Japan, and Pre-Columbian South America.  While at Kent, Matt also coached eighth grade boys’ lacrosse and ninth grade boys’ soccer. At Presidio Hill, Matt continued this interdisciplinary approach with his fourth grade students.

Matt joined The Bay School of San Francisco in its inaugural year 2004 as Co-Director of Admission. During the 2007-2008 academic year Matt serves as the freshman dean, the assistant director of college counseling, and assists in the Office of Admission.

Dennis J. Hartzell – Assistant Head of School, Advanced Literature Electives
Dennis holds a B.A. in English, (with a minor in Asian Studies), from Hamilton College and a M.A. in English from Duke University. During his nine years at two independent schools in New Jersey (the Peddie School and the Dwight-Englewood School), Dennis taught English literature and composition, coached basketball, soccer, and tennis, and served as athletic director and dean of admissions. He then spent a year as the assistant basketball coach at Lehigh University and three years as the assistant basketball coach at Columbia University. More recently, he has performed a variety of administrative roles at Columbia University, UC San Francisco, Golden Gate University, and at the University of Maryland.

Dennis is the author of Odysseus: The Complete Adventures (now, sadly, out of print). He is a devoted runner and trains as often as his schedule allows in a traditional school of karate. At the Bay School, Dennis teaches advanced literature electives, coaches in the athletic program, and leads faculty recruitment.

Karen Hellyer – Studio and Digital Art 
If you travel to www.peonqueen.com, Karen’s web page, you will learn that she has a B.A. in Art Education from Eastern Illinois University and a M.E. in Arts Technology from Illinois State University. She has taught at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School, at Lick-Wilmerding, at Nueva, and at King Middle School in Berkeley. Karen’s passion is the integration of studio and digital art. “I want to teach and produce media,” she recently wrote, “as an art form and tool for education, social awareness, community building, and storytelling. I want to provide inspiration and support for technology integration in arts education.”

Paul Laurey - Science
Paul earned a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia in 1997 and while an undergraduate published research in the neuropharmocology of learning and memory. His graduate work at the University of Oregon investigated the biological basis and cognitive architecture of memory, emotion, awareness, and cognitive control, leading in 2003 to a MS and Ph.D. in Psychology that including a certificate in cognitive neuroscience.

Paul began his teaching career at the University of Oregon as a graduate fellow while pursuing his doctorate between 1997-2001 and 2003. Since 2005 he has taught sciences at the secondary school level.He was a New York City Teaching Fellow from 2006-2008 teaching Biology and Environmental Science, worked in a high needs school in Brooklyn, and earned a Masters in Science Teaching from Pace University in 2008. Paul joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2008.

Paul’s academic background and objective viewpoint on human experience has provided a conceptual frame for his interest and studies in improvisational dance, kung fu, yoga, Thai healing, and other techniques that explore and develop the subjective human. He has trained with master teachers in Oregon, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, New York, and Chiang Mai, Thailand.He actively practices, performs, and teaches an integration of these somatic art forms with an ongoing consideration of the underlying neural operations.

Kristen (Krissa) Lebacqz – Biology
Krissa earned a BS in Earth Systems (Biosphere) and a MS in Earth Systems (Watershed Conservation and Management) from Stanford University. She served a teaching internship at Menlo School before teaching Biology for three years at Serra High School. For the past two years, Krissa has worked as a naturalist with Foothill Horizons Outdoor School and Sierra Outdoor School. “I believe that the ultimate goal of education should be to create a generation of citizens who are engaged in and informed about the world around them.” says Krissa. “With this objective in mind, I strive to make my classroom a place of discovery and inquiry.”  (Incidentally, “Lebacqz” is pronounced “Leback.”)

Ting-Chi Li – Mandarin
Not only has Ting-Chi had considerable experience teaching and tutoring Mandarin—indeed, she has worked closely as a tutor with several Bay School students—she is an accomplished dancer, technologist, and taiko drummer. Born and raised in Taipei, Ting-Chi earned a B.A. in History from National Cheng Chi University in 1990. She then went on to complete an M.A. in Dance History and Criticism at UCLA (1997) and an M.A. in Instructional Technology from San Francisco State (2003).

Jeremy Daniel Marshman – School Counselor                       
A licensed marriage and family therapist, Jeremy studied psychology at the University of California Santa Cruz (BA), the New School for Social Research in New York, and the California Institute for Integral Studies (MA).  For the past four years he has worked with adolescents and families involved in the juvenile justice system and with child protective services.

Having witnessed many individuals working through very difficult life challenges Jeremy has developed a deep trust in the process of therapeutic counseling. Jeremy brings a passion for the aliveness and authenticity of adolescence to the Bay School as well as a curious, welcoming stance towards all experiences including those perceived as difficulties. In addition to his position at the Bay School, Jeremy maintains a private practice in San Francisco and Marin County.

Jean Menapace – Mathematics 
After earning a BA in Mathematics at Wellesley College and a MA in Education at Stanford University, Jean went to work at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA. Several decades later, Jean moved to the Bay Area, where she has been teaching Math at Branson since 2004. She is keenly interested in the application of technology to teaching (she introduced the first computers to Shady Hill in 1979!), and has included Robotics in her teaching duties at Branson. “I see mathematics not only as a body of knowledge, but as a way of thinking,” Jean writes. “What I care most about in my classroom is that students have the experience of truly thinking like mathematicians: exploring new problems, logically putting pieces together, seeing patterns, questioning ideas, learning to trust their intuitions.”

Craig Miller – U.S. History and Advanced Social Studies Electives
After earning a B.A. in Politics from UC Santa Cruz in 1992, Craig spent the following two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, in western Africa. He returned to the U.S. to complete an M.A. in Education at Stanford in 1997. Shortly thereafter Craig began teaching at the American School in Mexico City, one of Mexico’s premiere college preparatory schools and one of the oldest international schools in the world. As Chair of the Social Studies Department, Craig led the redesign of the United States History and World History courses, developed and taught International Baccalaureate (I.B.) history courses, and coordinated a number of cross-school curricular initiatives. During his seven years in Mexico, Craig learned his fourth language, becoming fluent in Spanish and many other things Mexican.

Eugene Mizusawa – Engineering Program Director
Dr. Eugene Mizusawa joined the Bay School in 2006 as Director of Senior Projects and Field-based Learning. Having earned his bachelor degree in Chemistry from Boston University in 1979, Eugene was awarded his Ph.D in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA in 1984 while serving as a teaching and research assistant in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Eugene has extensive experience in the fields of scientific research and product development through his work at universities, in industry, and at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He has authored a large number of scientific articles for publication. While working at the NASA-Ames Research Center in 2001 he co-authored a WestEd and NASA Learning Technologies Project White Paper on project-based learning titled "Every Child a Knowledge Explorer—Launching the NASA 21st Century Learning Mission" in 2002. He is also the registered holder of several scientific patents.

Eugene has been involved in and committed to the field of education for more than 25 years. He has classroom teaching experience at UCLA, California State University in Hayward, in the Dublin Unified School District, and at the Athenian School in Danville. During his 13 year tenure at Athenian he taught upper school science courses, served as science department head for four years, and was the founding director of the Center for Innovation and Applied Technology. Additionally, he founded and mentored the F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team at Athenian and introduced the robotics program to San Ramon Valley High School, Monte Vista High School, and California High School in the San Ramon Unified School District.

At the Bay School, Eugene Mizusawa directs the Engineering Program.

Peter Olrich – College Counselor
Peter came to the Bay School in 2005 from Brooks School in North Andover, MA, where he served as Associate Director of College Counseling, a teacher in the English department, head coach of boys rowing, and the elected chair of Brooks' faculty advisory committee. While at Brooks, Peter had a major hand in significant changes to the college counseling program, and he brings great energy and competence to the launch of The Bay School's college counseling program. He helped create a more student-centered college curriculum at Brooks, and was a strong voice in support of higher education and for student engagement in the application process.

After earning his B.A. in English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University in 1990, Peter served as the program director for Community Rowing, Inc. of Boston, the nation's largest community rowing organization. He was also the men's rowing coach at Boston College, and later the director of the Florida Rowing Center and spring and fall director of the Craftsbury Sculling Center. A many-time national rowing champion and Canadian Henley champion himself, Peter has coached crews and scullers of all ages to medals in regional and national competitions. While Peter was at Brooks, three crews won New England Championships, and Brooks' boys program finished in the top three in New England seven out of nine years.

As the founding Director of College Counseling, Peter launched the college counseling program at Bay in 2006 and is gratified by the outstanding college acceptances earned by the Bay School Class of 2008.

Richard Piccioni - Science
Before becoming a high school science teacher in 2001, Richard worked as a research scientist, college teacher, and attorney. He earned a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Rockefeller University in New York City in 1977, and a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in1993. He joined the Bay School in 2008 following seven years spent teaching calculus and algebra-based physics in  Seattle at James A. Garfield High School and at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco.

As an attorney, Richard worked on cases that turned largely on the resolution of scientific and technical issues by juries and judges not trained in science.His experience taught him first-hand how crucial scientific literacy can be to the functioning and future of our society.

Always a teacher at heart, Richard gave up his law practice in 2001 to focus on developing authentic scientific literacy in young people.He favors instructional methods that place the student at the center of the learning process, allowing them to experience what it is like to think like a scientist.

Tony Pickering – Dean of Faculty, Spanish
Tony came to the Bay School in fall 2007 from Abington Friends School outside Philadelphia, where he served since 2001 as the assistant director while teaching both Spanish and Latin American History. Prior to that, Tony was chair of the Foreign Language Department at the Urban School here in San Francisco.  With a BA in Political Science from Macalester College and a MA in Latin American Studies from U.C Berkeley, Tony is the Bay School’s first dean of faculty.  “What should always be most important to a school,” Tony believes, “is the enthusiasm and knowledge of its teachers. They are effective when they are able to make their students feel the inspiration and excitement about the subject that they themselves feel. Good schools provide opportunities and resources for this to happen.”

Paula Plessas – Dance and Athletic Activities
Paula Plessas has been teaching many different styles of dance on both the east and west coasts for more than a decade. She holds a masters degree in Fine Arts/Dance from Mills College, and earned a bachelors degree in dance with a minor in holistic health from San Francisco State University 1997.

While living in the New York City area from 1999 through 2004, Paula taught contemporary dance and hip-hop at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She also developed and headed an alternative physical education program at an economically challenged high school in the South Bronx where she taught yoga, hip-hop, African-Haitian dance, tap, and nutrition courses, for at-risk teens.

In addition to teaching dance, Paula has been active as a freelance choreographer since 1996. Her works have been performed at venues such as The Merce Cunningham Theater, Princeton University, Judson Church, Dixon Place, Chashama Theater Times Square, Theater for a New City, ODC Theater, and the LAB Art Gallery. She has received numerous professional awards including an artist Residency and Space Grant from the LAB Art Gallery in San Francisco, Off-Off Broadway Review Award for Excellence in Dance-Theater, and an Audience Choice Award nomination for Time Out New York Magazine.

At the Bay School, Paula offers a wide variety of dance classes that challenge each student to go beyond their perceived personal limits—whether they be physical, cultural, or academic—encouraging students to discover their full potential in a safe, fun, and stimulating environment.

Katherine Riley – Drama, Religion, Admission Associate
Katherine’s interest and enthusiasm about the dramatic arts started early in childhood. Beginning in elementary school, she studied ballet at the American Repertory Ballet School in her hometown of Princeton, New Jersey, and was actively involved in performing arts programs throughout high school. While attending Georgetown University between 1995 and 1999, she performed as an active member of the Nomadic Theater Company and studied voice, movement, and acting within the Fine Arts department.

Following her graduation from Georgetown in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, having majored in English Literature and Theology, Katherine moved to live in New York City where she began her career as a production coordinator and casting agent working on fashion and advertising photo shoots. While working in the world of photography inspired her creative talents, Katherine also eagerly accepted an offer from her high school in Princeton to direct and produce student musicals during 2001 and 2002.

Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003, Katherine taught drama and directed student productions at Francisco Middle School and the drama program Kids Take the Stage. She performs with The Imagination Company and Caterpillar Puppets.

Katherine joined the Bay School faculty in 2004. She teaches drama courses and directs student theatrical performances as well as teaching Religion elective courses, supervising the book group program, and working in the admission office.

Mary Ann Rodgers – Spanish 
After completing her BA in Dramatic Arts at UC Santa Barbara, Mary Ann (a native speaker of Spanish) went on to earn a secondary school teaching credential in Spanish at San Francisco State University. While theatre remains an abiding passion for Mary Ann, she has spent the last five years as a Spanish teacher at White Hill Middle School in Fairfax. “Learning to teach is a never-ending process, but there are a few truths upon which I lean,” Mary Ann wrote in her Statement of Teaching Philosophy. “People, like dolphins, learn more from encouragement and positive reinforcement than they do from criticism and negative input.” Mary Ann is also a pioneer of sorts at Bay; she will be the first member of the faculty who is also the parent of a Bay School student.  Her daughter, Thea, is a member of the Class of 2010.

Charles Roth – Director of Learning Services
Charles brings an abiding commitment to kids, a strong academic background, and several decades of clinical and counseling experience to his role as the Bay School’s Director of Learning Services. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Charles earned a B.A. from St. Joseph’s University and a M.S. from Drexel University. He then went on to earn an additional M.A. and a Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. Since 1985, Charles, who is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, has built a private practice focused on child/adolescent counseling, with specialized work in learning differences and disabilities, attention, memory, and social skills, as well as neuropsychological testing. He also serves as a lecturer in the Graduate Counseling Program at San Francisco State University.

Meisa Salaita – Chemistry and Studio Art
Following her graduation magna cum laude from the College of William & Mary (with a major in Chemistry, a minor in Art/Art History, and a Phi Beta Kappa key), Meisa was admitted in 2001 to a doctoral program in Inorganic Chemistry at Northwestern University. She was awarded her Ph.D. in June, 2006. In addition to extensive teaching duties at Northwestern, Meisa served as a research group leader at the university’s Institute for Nanotechnology. She is fluent in Persian and an accomplished sculptress.

Meisa joined the Bay School faculty in fall 2006 and teaches freshman and sophomore level Chemistry as well as 3D Art courses.

Danielle Sensenig- Visual Arts
After earning her BS in Fine Arts with a minor in graphic design from Northeastern University in 2003 Danielle received her K-12 teaching certification in 2005 from Millersville University, near her hometown in Pennsylvania.
During college Danielle gained teaching experience while working in after school programs, art camps, and she taught middle school and high school art classes at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.

After moving to the Bay Area, Danielle taught Art 1, Art 2,Art 3, World Arts, and AP Art at Holy Names High School in Oakland from 2006-2008. Outside of school, she enjoys working out, being outside, jewelry making, traveling, and golf. Danielle joined the Bay School art faculty in the fall of 2008 and teaches drawing and painting.

Andy Shaw – Mathematics
Andy Shaw graduated from Bowdoin College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics. While at Bowdoin, Andy was a member of the Outing Club, played French horn in the orchestra, and was a two-year captain of the men's varsity swim team. He worked as a grader, tutor, and teaching assistant in mathematics. His honors thesis, entitled "Visualizing Symmetry Groups of the Euclidean Plane", drew connections between linear algebra, topology, calculus, and transformational geometry.

Andy began his teaching career at Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH), a boarding school in the mountains of Western Massachusetts. During his years there, he taught throughout the math curriculum, from Geometry through Multivariable Calculus, and worked to help the department build syllabi which take full advantage of the block schedule. While at NMH Andy designed a discovery-based curriculum and an exploratory text for the school's Multivariable Calculus course.

Believing strongly that ownership of mathematical thinking is the key to success for students, Andy's approach to teaching centers around students finding their own ways to solve problems and express ideas symbolically. He strives to help young mathematicians learn to explain their ideas and collaborate in order to test and confirm their own hypotheses and solutions.

A swimmer since he was six years old, Andy has been coaching and teaching aquatics since his teenage years. He coached swimming and water polo at NMH, and remains an avid swimmer. Andy also spends his spare time cycling, backpacking, and snowboarding.

Rachel Shaw – Librarian
Rachel’s unique background in 21st century library science contributes in a very significant way to the founding of the Bay School. Following her graduation from U.C. Santa Cruz in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in European History, she joined Yahoo!, Inc. during its initial start-up phase. While at Yahoo! from 1996-2000, she developed and maintained classification schemes and information modules for the Yahoo! directory and Yahoo! shopping sites. Her work included devising solutions to editorial and information organization dilemmas. She evaluated more than eighty Web sites per day for inclusion into the Yahoo! directory.

In 2000, Rachel received her Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, and began her career as a librarian in Oakland and Alameda County public libraries. While there she was responsible for the evaluation of book collections, assisting in the research for book purchases, and was the reference desk librarian in both the adult and children’s sections. During the 2003-2004 academic year, Rachel served as the assistant librarian at The College Preparatory School in Oakland where she assisted high school students and cataloged books and audiovisual materials, and maintained the library’s Web page.

At the Bay School, as a key member of the faculty, Rachel’s responsibilities include working closely with students to train them in the research process, and, in conjunction with the faculty, she directs the purchase and cataloging of print and audiovisual materials.

Shelton Shepherd - Dean of Students
Shelton Shepherd came to the Bay School in 2008 from Cary Academy in Raleigh, NC, where he  served as the Dean of Students and a teacher of mathematics. He received his BS in Mathematics Education from North Carolina State University and his MAT in Mathematics from the University of Vermont. Following four years as a math teacher at Burlington HS in Vermont (where he was the First Runner-Up for Vermont Teacher of the Year in 2001), Shelton returned to North Carolina to accept a teaching position at Cary Academy. He was appointed Dean of Students at Cary in 2005 and chaired the school’s Judicial Board and its Committee on Multiracial Initiatives and Diversity.

Shelton serves as Dean of Students at the Bay School and oversees all aspects of student and community life.

Teah Strozer – Chaplain
Teah is a Zen Buddhist priest certified to teach in the Suzuki Roshi Soto Zen Buddhist lineage. She has practiced meditation since 1967 and has lived for eleven years in the Tassajara Zen Monastery where she created and led teenage retreat programs. Teah has lived and worked at the San Francisco Zen Center since 1996 where she serves as Head of Practice responsible for teaching and ministering to the San Francisco community.

Having graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1965, Teah earned a K-12 teaching credential with a specialty in music from the University of Southern California Music Conservatory. From 1969-1974 she worked as a music teacher at the Hillel Jewish Community School, and then held the position of all city orchestra director for the public school system in Davis, California. While on a two-year leave in 1985-1987 spent living in Africa, Teah taught music at the Kenyan Academy – taking her students to the national music contest where they won a first place award.

Teah is inspired by the Bay School’s multi-faith perspective and the opportunity to work closely with teenagers. As she says, “I was raised Jewish and still identify as such. I am also a Buddhist. I practice understanding and tolerance for all religions. I am interested in creating open, awake, compassionate people no matter what the specific path.”

Julie Taufa'asau – Assistant Dean of Students, Junior Class Dean, Spanish, Advanced Social Studies Elective
Julie Taufa'asau was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She attended the University of Washington in Seattle and spent her junior year abroad in Spain - studying at the Universidad de Cadiz and the Universidad de Salamanca. During that year she fell in love with the Spanish language and culture and returned to graduate from U.W. earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish and in Western European International Studies.

Following her graduation Julie moved to Spain to live and work for three years. In 2000 she taught English as a second language to Spanish business executives and then joined the American School of Madrid working in the development and public relations department. In 2003 Julie returned home to Hawaii and accepted a teaching position at St. Francis School in Honolulu. From 2003-2005 she taught Spanish on the beginning through advanced levels as well as modern and contemporary world history, psychology, and Hawaiian studies in addition to serving as the sophomore class advisor. Julie joined the Bay School faculty in 2005 and teaches Spanish I and II.

In her free time, Julie is a marathon runner and soccer player. She takes advantage of the many cultural opportunities in San Francisco by exploring the city's many museums, historical sites, and diverse cultural activities.

Dave Wang – Mathematics
Dave graduated from Yale University with a B.A., cum laude, in Applied Mathematics, and then began his teaching career at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, a highly respected college preparatory boarding school, where he was a member of the faculty for fifteen years. While at St. Andrew’s he taught the full spectrum of mathematics courses at the high school level, ranging from Algebra I through advanced placement Calculus AB and BC, concept-based Calculus, Finite Mathematics and elective minors in Probability and Statistics, as well as Modern Applied Mathematics. He served as chair of the mathematics department during the 1992-1998 and 2001-2002 academic years and as acting associate academic dean for mathematics and the sciences in 2000-01.

Dave’s philosophy and approach to the teaching of mathematics emphasize depth over breadth, and the use of practical, real-world applications to provide the motivation and context for mathematical theory and understanding. His methodology makes extensive use of technology and places emphasis on student-centered modes of instruction and project-based learning that encourages student engagement and dialogue. Dave joined the Bay School as a founding faculty member in 2004 and teaches a broad range of mathematics courses.

An active athlete himself, Dave has coached high school varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams, and also enjoys swimming, running, and working out. His interests outside of teaching include science fiction and fantasy literature, strategy and role-playing games, and volunteer work.

Colin Williams – Music and Humanities
Colin Williams received his B.A. in Classical Studies from Loyola University of New Orleans, one of the few places in the world that teaches both ancient languages and jazz music at a very advanced level. While at Loyola, he studied Sanskrit, Greek, Tibetan and Latin, reading epics, philosophy and mythology in the original languages. The Journal of Libertarian Studies published his first article, an Aristotelian critique of the far right, in the summer of 2004.

Colin’s musical career began several years prior to his interest in the Classics. He studied jazz bass at Oregon Episcopal School, where he ran the pep band, orchestrating for bagpipes, koto, and electric violins, as well as guitars and trumpets. After moving to New Orleans, he became a mainstay of the “Funky Butt”, the jazz club where Louis Armstrong used to play. The steady, pulsing energy of Colin’s bass lines has earned him gigs from the Harry Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia to the Tugboat Brewery in Portland.

Robin Workman – Mandarin Chinese, Humanities, and Advanced Social Studies Electives
Following graduation from Haverford College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a concentration in East Asian studies, Robin went to Taipei, Taiwan to pursue advanced training in Mandarin Chinese under the auspices of Stanford University’s program. She spent the following three years working for Turner Broadcasting Systems in a sales and marketing capacity. Robin was one of four initial Turner Broadcasting employees who established Turner’s presence in the greater China region during the early 1990’s.

In 1996 Robin enrolled at Princeton University in the East Asian Studies PhD program and, after passing her qualifying exams in 1999, began a career in secondary education. During graduate school she worked as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey where she designed and taught a survey course in Chinese civilization for non-history majors. During the academic year 1999-2000, Robin was a member of the faculty at University High School in San Francisco where she taught a cultures & civilizations course to freshmen and designed the China portion of the curriculum as well as also teaching Modern European History AP, and an elective course in modern Chinese history and politics.

During 2001-2002, Robin lived in Beijing working as a staff member for the Andover School Year Abroad program where she was responsible for the supervision of more than sixty high school exchange students. She assisted with translation and cultural communications issues for English speaking staff, and taught a year-long course in Chinese civilization. In her capacity as a history instructor at Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, CA, Robin taught European history, designed and implemented a sophomore Eurasian history core curriculum, and co-created and taught a specific humanities curriculum for high school seniors.

At Bay, Robin teaches Mandarin Chinese, sophomore level Humanities, as well as advanced level Social Studies courses such as Comparative Government and Comparative Philosophy.