Our Staff

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Mr. Dlugacz graduated from Penn State University with a B.F.A and a concentration in Art History in 1998. While working with White House “Artist on the Lawn” Herb Schwartz and his artist marketing company Nest Egg Productions, Mr. Dlugacz attended the Rutgers Alternate Route Program. He began teaching 4th/5th grade starting in 2003, until transferring to Sunnymead Elementary to be the full time art teacher in 2012. His other experiences include Founder and President of Efrem Foundation, a 501c3 organization committed to helping children cope with loss by providing art and music outlets to assist with the grieving process. He is currently a founding member of Amped Up Education, LLC., an online education company specializing in cross curricular video lessons for elementary students. In his spare time, Mr. D. is the lead singer in a NJ rock band and an avid golfer. 

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Anna Palaski earned a BFA from Rutger’s Mason Gross with a concentration in drawing. She later went on to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching, with a certificate for teaching Students with Disabilities. Ms. Palaski completed her student teaching in the Elizabeth Public School system and taught there for a year and a half.  She joined Hillsborough in 2021.  

Laurel R. (Dittmar) Suk graduated from Kean University with a BA in Fine Arts Ed. (k-12 cert.) in 1989 and began working in Hillsborough. She has had the opportunity to teach readiness through 5th grade in Woodfern Elm., Woods Road Elm, Amsterdam Elm., and Hillsborough Elm., where she currently teaches. She has earned an MA in education from Marysgrove College as well as over 40 credits in studio arts and teaching techniques. 

Laurel resides in Flemington with her husband and 4 boys. The oldest is a Physician’s Assistant in Orthopedics and the other 3 are attending school and participating in various sports. She is a lifelong learner. She enjoys reading and is in two book clubs and attends art shows and museums often with her Mom. She is a very active member of the Hillsborough Education Association and is the Head Rep. for HES, Social Committee Chair, Action team, as well as served on the Negotiations Team, SLT, Budget Committee, Elections Chair, LAT rep. and County rep. She has been a member of the NEA and AENJ and has presented numerous times at the convention and served as committee chair. Laurel has co-written the district’s  K-4 Fine Arts curriculum many times.  She was the softball coach and boys and girls Varsity Swim team coach for Franklin Twp., as well as the first swim team coach for Hillsborough High. 

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Thomas Luke is an art teacher at Auten Road. Mr. Luke has been an artist since he was very young and his favorite medium is sculpture, though he also enjoys drawing and painting through the creation of pet portraits. Mr. Luke has a BA in Visual Arts from Rutgers University and attended Kean University’s Masters in Art Education program. He has  taught at the Union County Educational Services Commission for students with disabilities, the Orange Public Schools, and at Hillsborough's Triangle Elementary School. 

Mrs. Takayama joined the Hillsborough art department at the beginning of 2024 after working for eight years in the Tewksbury Township School District where she taught art in grades preK-8, found an art club that provided opportunities for students to explore the arts outside of the classroom, and served as both the assistant director and the set/costume designer for the 8th-grade play. Mrs. Takayama earned her bachelor’s degree in art education from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in instructional design and technology from the American College of Education. Mrs. Takayama is excited to be in Hillsborough where she emphasizes fostering a safe, respectful, and collaborative environment for students where they can explore their creativity, discover new ways of making art, and learn more about themselves during the process.

Ms. Fouks has a bachelors of Education and Fine Arts from The College of New Jersey. Ms. Fouks has previously worked in Wayne NJ and Teaneck NJ as a middle school art teacher. Ms. Fouks currently lives in Hillsborough and enjoys painting, embroidery, and volunteering at the local animal shelter. 

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James Arndt is a Hillsborough High School Graduate. He has been teaching Visual Art in Hillsborough Township School District since 1997. He is a graduate of San Francisco Art Institute with a BFA in Painting and Film Production. James earned his MFA in Fine Arts and Film Production from The School of The Art Art Institute of Chicago. He also holds an MAT in Fine Arts from The University of The Arts in Philadelphia. Mr. Arndt spent 2 years teaching Art at Woods Road Elementary School and 3 years teaching at Hillsborough Middle School. In 2002 he came to Hillsborough High School to create the Video & Film program in the Visual Arts Department. At the High School, Mr. Arndt teaches Video & Film and Advanced Video and Film. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Film at Raritan Valley Community College.  He lives in Hillsborough, NJ with his wife and son. 

Michael Bober has a BA in Visual Art from Rutgers College and an MFA in Studio Art from Montclair State University, where he concentrated on Film and Video production and Painting. Mr. Bober has also earned his principal and supervisor certification through the NJEXCEL program.  He has been an art teacher at Hillsborough High School since 2004, where he has taught Drawing, Video and Film, Cartooning, Graphic Design, and an Adaptive Art class for self-contained students. He was selected as Hillsborough High School’s Teacher of the Year in 2016. He lives in Fanwood with his wife Elizabeth and their two daughters, Saidy and Zoe. To see his artist website, go to https://michaelbober.weebly.com 

Veronique Contrino has been teaching visual art at Hillsborough High School since 2006. She is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design with a BFA in Product Design and an MA in Design Management. She also has an MAT in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University as well as a Pastry Arts Degree from the International Culinary Institute in NYC. Veronique is also an award-winning sculptural cake artist whose work has been featured in multiple national and international cake design magazines. She has competed in several broadcasted cake competitions on the Food Network, winning the championship title on the Food Network’s “Sugar Dome”, and the Rachael Ray Show. Veronique is thrilled that she is able to utilize her various design skills and passion for three-dimensional art in her beloved crafts and sculpture classes. When she’s not creating or teaching art, Veronique enjoys horseback riding and playing the sport of polo. She currently resides in Lambertville, NJ with her husband Andrew and her son Nolan.

Ms. Gavzy completed her degree in Art Education with a minor in Psychology from The College of New Jersey before joining Hillsborough High School in 2021. Prior to that she is a member of the first graduating class from the US branch of The Florence Academy of Art, where she joined The Salmagundi Club as a Scholarship Member. Her previous work experience includes working with Hackensack Meridian Health's Carrier Clinic as a group counselor, where she utilized art and creative thinking to help inpatient behavioral and mental health clients. Ms. Gavzy has had a career of commissioned portraiture which recognizes outstanding members of the community. This includes the official portrait of Hillsborough Committee Member Bob Wagner, the retirement portrait of Hackensack Meridian Health's Co-CEO, John Lloyd (hanging in the Hope Tower) and posthumous portrait of Non-Profit founder of Mikey's Way, Michael Friedman. Ms. Gavzy is an active part of the community, and worked with RISE camp, of RISE non-profit, over the summer as art teacher and muralist teacher for their enrichment program. This incorporated curating a gallery walk and including local businesses in Hightstown to promote the work of young scholars and raise money to give back to the community. Ms. Gavzy currently lives in Ewing with her fiancé and their cat, Bill, and continues to find her own style of art that combines her love for community, traditional art, and psychology. 

Lauren Kiedaisch has been teaching art at Hillsborough High School since January of 2019.  She is a graduate of Miami University, and earned a Masters in Art Education from Kent State University.  Prior to working in Hillsborough, Lauren taught  Nursery through Eighth Grade Art in the Diocese of Rockville Center.  She is currently the advisor for the HHS chapter of National Art Honor Society, and teaches photography and various other art classes. 

Ms. Morchel is a doctoral candidate within the Program in Art and Art Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Previously, she earned a Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from Harvard University Extension School; a Master of Arts in Art and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University; and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Visual Arts and a minor in Art History from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts. Ms. Morchel has been teaching Advanced Placement Art History and a variety of studio art courses within the Art Department at Hillsborough High School since 2008. She also teaches at Teachers College, Columbia University and Harvard University Extension School. Ms. Morchel is a practicing artist who regularly exhibits her work. She has previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, and the Morris Museum. In addition, she has worked for Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Glamour, W and W Jewelry magazines.