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Ken Bateman has taught at Wellesley High School since 2006. He graduated from Hamilton College, and holds a M.S. in biology and an M. Ed. from the University of Massachusetts. Prior to teaching at Wellesley High School, Ken taught at Lexington High School and the Hillside School in Marlborough. Additionally, he worked as a lab technician in two cancer research labs at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Smithville, TX. If Ken weren’t teaching at Wellesley High School, you would most likely find him hiking or enjoying the outside world, being inspired by the natural world around him.
Julie Boehm has taught at Wellesley High School as a biology teacher since 2006. She graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Neuroscience, and also holds an M.Ed. from Harvard University. Her pedagogical goal is to close the gap between high school biology and current laboratory research. To this end, she has spent two summers doing microbiology and genetics research at Northeastern University sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Julie has served as the educational liaison to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, helped to create their summer internship program for high school students, and has incorporated the DNA sequencing project from that program into her classes at the high school. In late 2013, Julie was one of eight Massachusetts science teachers selected to create a lesson for MIT BLOSSOMS. The video lesson on recent human evolution is now accessible to teachers worldwide and was designed to incorporate features of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Most recently, Julie has forged a partnership with the Personal Genetics Education Project at Harvard University to provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to the role of genomics in health and disease.
KEN BATEMAN
Biology Teacher
JULIE BOEHM
Biology Teacher
Matt Boody has taught at Wellesley High School since 2001. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of New Hampshire in Chemistry and Physics Teaching. He earned his M. Ed. from UNH as well. While here at WHS, Matt has taught College Prep, Advanced College Prep, and Honor Chemistry. In 2013, He also designed and implemented a course in Environmental Chemistry.
Matt is also a co-instructor for the Leadership Development though Community Service program here at WHS. He has worked with this program since 2010. He has also worked with Upward Bound programs in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts to promote student leadership and empowerment.
Outside of the classroom Matt enjoys time in Maine / New Hampshire with friends and family. He loves to cook, drink good coffee, and is a big fan of going to the movies.
MATTHEW BOODY
Chemistry Teacher
Christine Carpenter moved to Wellesley in the fourth grade and graduated from WHS in 1990. She went to Oberlin College, majoring in Physics and specializing in nuclear structure. As part of her research, Christine had the opportunity to work with scientists at the Osaka University Cyclotron. After college, she taught Physics at Phillips Exeter Academy and the Harpeth Hall School before getting a Masters degree in Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School for Education. Christine spent her teaching internship at Wellesley in the spring of 2000, then taught at Newton North High School. After having her first child, she taught at Gann Academy before coming back to WHS in 2014. In addition to enjoying Physics, she likes crafts (sewing, making props), singing, LARPing, and table-top gaming.
Meghan Dore is a Biology and Chemistry teacher at Wellesley High School. She studied Biology, English and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. She taught at a charter school in Boston before joining Wellesley High School in 2018. She has taught both Biology and Chemistry at Wellesley High School. She is currently completing her Masters in Education at American International College. Being a part of the Wellesley High School community has been a positive, inclusive, and welcoming experience, largely because of the motivated, compassionate and inspiring student population and skillful and dedicated faculty and staff!
CHRISTINE CARPENTER
Physics Teacher
MEGHAN DORE
Biology Teacher
Chemistry Teacher
Brian Finn did his undergraduate work at Lehigh University as part of their arts-engineering program, earning a B.A. in government/philosophy and B.S. in engineering physics. He then did graduate work in experimental high energy physics at Harvard University, earning an A.M.. After working 3 years as a research analyst for a defense contractor, Brian went back to graduate school at M.I.T. to study political science but left to return to industry before completing his dissertation. He worked for another 10 years in the defense industries at a local consulting firm. After leaving industry, Brian took a year off to help take care of his family. He did some additional graduate work at Worcester State University to complete his education requirements and then started teaching: first at Mount Ida College for one year, then at Newton South High School for 8 years, and finally at Wellesley High School since 2007. Brian has taught physics to high school freshmen and seniors, as well as college freshmen.
Brian is one of the coaches for the Wellesley Science Team and has been involved with the Massachusetts Science Olympiad for 12 years. He also runs the peer tutoring program for science at the high school.
BRIAN FINN
Physics Teacher
Dani Fuchs has taught as a biology teacher at Wellesley High School since 2018. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire with a B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and also holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Teaching from Fitchburg State University. Prior to teaching at Wellesley High School she spent over eight years as a biochemical researcher in both academia and biotechnology corporations in San Diego, California. Dani enjoys making connections to her expertise in the biotechnology field to concepts covered in the biology curriculum by offering relevant perspectives from current scientific research. Her pedagogical approach aims to facilitate experiences that are meaningful to all learners, and that allow students to showcase their individual talents and interests. When Dani is not teaching high school biology, she is enjoying time with her family by cooking, hiking in nature, making art, practicing yoga and rock climbing.
DANI FUCHS
Biology Teacher
Derrick Genova graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in chemical engineering. He exclusively taught chemistry for seven years before coming to Wellesley, where he now teaches both physics and chemistry. Outside of the high school, he has worked to create and teach a summer course on flight and remote control airplanes, which will likely be incorporated into a senior elective. He does private tutoring in physics, chemistry, and math, and also holds a masters degree in science curriculum and instruction. He is the proud father of two young kids, born in 2012 and 2015. When he’s not busy chasing them around, he enjoys strategy games, water sports, and singing terrible karaoke.
Paul Giancioppo is a biology teacher at WHS. Paul originally worked in the biotech industry after acquiring his B.S. in biology at Merrimack College in 2011. He recently returned to Merrimack College to earn is M. Ed. During this time he worked as a substitute in both Newton and Wellesley and was also a former student teacher at WHS in 2016. Paul has been very excited to return to the science department this year and is looking forward to working with WHS colleagues and students.
Outside of work, Paul is a supporter and volunteer coach for the Norwood Challenger Sports program, a program that provides athletic opportunities for physically and mentally challenged youth. In his free time, Paul enjoys snowboarding in the winter, traveling in the summer, and trying new board/card games with friends.
Ms. Mindy Kessler Hoge joined the Wellesley High School staff in 2000. She teaches her favorite subject, biology, and coached for 11 years for the Raider Junior Varsity Field Hockey team. Ms. Kessler also has a love for dogs. She and her golden retriever are a certified social therapy team. They work as a team in the Bridge Program at Wellesley High School as well as make visits to the different faculty departments offices.
DERRICK GENOVA
Physics Teacher
Chemistry Teacher
PAUL GIANCIOPPO
Biology Teacher
MINDY HOGE
Biology Teacher
Dr. Sylvia Kaczmarek was born in Marl, Germany, and studied Chemistry at the Westfälische-Wilhelms Universität in Münster, Germany. There she received her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in 2000 for studying “31P Solid State NMR of Crystalline Solids”. She then moved to Oahu, Hawaii, for a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Hawaii, studying the structure of the protein elastin using Solid State NMR. Dr. K met her husband in Hawaii and they moved to Massachusetts in 2002. In 2004 Dr. K joined the High School teaching Chemistry. Since then she has taught every level of Chemistry. In her free time she likes to spend time with her two daughters and husband and loves to travel.
This is Michael Krieger's 27th year teaching high school physics and 17th year at WHS. He is a former Science Olympiad coach and current co-advisor to National Honor Society. When not doing schoolwork, he enjoys singing low tenor in the Metropolitan Chorale of Brookline, playing piano, bicycling and reading.
SYLVIA KACZMAREK
Chemistry Teacher
MICHAEL KRIEGER
Physics Teacher
Laurence Lovett has been teaching at Wellesley High since the fall of 2002. Prior to that he spent 14 years as an Associate Professor in the Math/Physics department of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. There he taught all levels of math and physics as well as courses in Computer Instrumentation, Internal Combustion Engines and Computer Mathematics. He did his undergraduate work at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and UMass Boston and received his master’s degree at UMass Boston in experimental physics.
At Wellesley, Larry teaches Physics, Engineering and Robotics. In the 2015-2016 school year he joined the Evolutions integrated program. Larry also works with Wellesley students as the adviser for the Math Team and Robotics Club / Botball Team, and coach for the Coed Sailing Team.
A true New England Yankee, Larry has spent the last 24 summers as the Waterfront Director at a pair of brother/sister camps in Fryeburg, Maine where he enjoys all forms of boating, sailing and paddling as well as hiking. Larry also enjoys cooking, woodworking, reading, watching movies, solving puzzles and following the Patriots and Red Sox. He especially likes spending time with his wife and two college age daughters.
Nathan Margolin has been teaching high school science since 2011 and is happy to be a part of the team at Wellesley High School! He studied Science and Society at Brown University, focusing on the history and philosophy of science. After graduating, Nathan was accepted into the Boston Teacher Residency where he earned a Masters of Education from UMass Boston while teaching at the Boston Community Leadership Academy. He taught physics for 4 additional years in Boston Public Schools, including 3 years at Margarita Muñiz Academy, the only dual-language public high school in Massachusetts. Nathan sings with Honorable Menschen a cappella and is also an avid clarinetist.
Caitlin Moniz has been with the department since 2008, teaching both Earth science and physics. She was one of two teachers to teach the honors 9th grade physics pilot, and is currently developing curriculum for electives to be taught in 2015. She has served on faculty senate as the science department representative for four years and served as the faculty senate president in 2014-15. She has also served on the national honors society committee. She majored in meteorology as an undergraduate, spending nine months as an intern in the weather department at a local Boston news station, and later completed her Masters in Education. When she isn’t teaching, she loves to bake, eat dessert, and watch the Patriots!
LAURENCE LOVETT
Engineering Teacher
Physics Teacher
NATHAN MARGOLIN
Physics Teacher
Chemistry Teacher
CAITLIN MONIZ
Physics Teacher
Louisa Morrison has been teaching Chemistry and Biology at Wellesley High School since 2011. She is originally from North Andover, Massachusetts, and has lived in New York, NY, Woods Hole, MA and Nashville, TN. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Political Science from Barnard College. She has a Master of Science in Biochemistry from Vanderbilt University and a Master in the Art of Teaching from Belmont University. She was an AmeriCorps member and a Nashville Teaching Fellow from 2009-2011. Ms. Morrison’s research experience includes the topics of chemical oceanography, toxicology, and DNA repair. Ms. Morrison has been a co-coach for the WHS Science Team since 2013.
Mahshid Pourmand joined Wellesley High School in 2019. Prior to joining WHS, she taught at Newton South High School and Oak Hill Middle School. Ms.Pourmand has a master’s degree in Experimental Physics from Boston University, and a BA in Physics from Tehran University. She has spent several years in research labs employing ultrafast spectroscopy to investigate optical properties of novel materials, and she views teaching physics at high school as an opportunity to attract more students to science and STEAM fields in general. Outside of WHS, Ms. Pourmand enjoys biking, sewing, traveling, and camping.
Jeffrey Robin is a Chemistry Teacher at Wellesley High School. He received my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Massachusetts at Amherst before pursuing a degree in Doctor of Medicine from The State University of New York - Upstate in Syracuse, NY. Jeffrey made the decision to pursue teaching after receiving his medical degree and am extremely fortunate to be in his second year of teaching here in Wellesley. Currently, Jeff is finishing up his Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching through Fitchburg State University. He live in Framingham with my wife, Rose, and my cat, Destiny.
LOUISA MORRISON
Chemistry Teacher
Biology Teacher
MAHSHID POURMAND
Physics Teacher
JEFFREY ROBIN
Chemistry Teacher
Meghan didn’t always know that she wanted to be a teacher, but she had a strong interest in science and decided to major in biology at SUNY Plattsburgh in New York. After graduating with a B.S. in biology, she decided on teaching and went on to obtain a Masters of Science from SUNY Albany. Through her masters program there was an opportunity to do a portion of her student teaching in New York City. She decided to make the move and eventually began her first teaching job in Brooklyn, NY. She spent a total of 4 years teaching within the NYC Public School System, between Brooklyn and the Bronx. She has always been very grateful for her time spent teaching in New York City because she learned a lot about herself, and how to build a foundation of trust amongst her students. She has been teaching at Wellesley High School since the fall of 2013 and has very much enjoyed becoming a part of this wonderful and supportive community. She currently teaches biology at the CP and honors level, and her favorite aspect of teaching is in building relationships with her students and helping them to appreciate the world of science, while helping them apply it to their own lives.
Meghan is very passionate about traveling as much as she possibly can, in order to experience different cultures and open up her perspective about the world that we live in, and how we go about living in it. She loves to share her experiences with her students and open their eyes to new ideas and ways of life.
MEGHAN SGAMBATI
Biology Teacher
Ms. Spangler, teaches part time and joined the science department in 2015 after a brief hiatus from teaching. She holds a Masters in Education from Harvard University and a BA in Biology and Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. Ms. Spangler enjoys swimming, hiking, yoga, skiing and her motto is ‘be a little more kinder than necessary.’ She lives in town and enjoys bumping into students at Whole Foods and Linden Store.
Thomas van Geel has taught chemistry at WHS since 2005. His educational background includes a BS in Biology (1995) and an MD (2001). Outside interests include cooking, martial arts, and playing drums.
Nora Wilkins has been working in the Wellesley Public Schools since 2005. She began her career in Wellesley as a sixth grade science teacher at WMS. After spending 3 years at the middle school, she joined the high school science department in 2008. During her time at the high school, Nora has served as a chemistry and biology teacher, Interim Assistant Principal, and Interim Department Head of Science and Technology. In July of 2014, she assumed the role of Department Head of Science and Technology Engineering. Nora graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in the Biological Sciences, and she also holds an M.S.T. and Certificate of Advanced Educational Specialization in Educational Administration from Boston College. During her time with WPS, Nora has enjoyed coaching WHS JV Boys' Golf, WMS 8th Grade Softball, and helping out with WHS Varsity Girls' Golf, and she looks forward to serving as a Class Advisor for the Class of 2021.
BEANIE SPANGLER
Biology Teacher
THOMAS VAN GEEL
Chemistry Teacher
NORA WILKINS
Department Head of Science and Technology Engineering
Biology Teacher
Chemistry Teacher
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