Science and Tech Engineering Faculty Bios

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.

 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.

Michael Krieger has been teaching high school physics at WHS since 1999.  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. 

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.

Caitlin Moniz has been with the department since 2008, when she started her teaching career.   While she originally began her career teaching 9th grade Earth science and senior physics, she has since had the opportunity to help develop the curriculum and pilot 9th grade physics courses and year-long and semester astronomy electives.  Most recently, she's had the opportunity to also begin teaching courses in the engineering and technology program, as well as co-create a CP 9th Help Center, designed specifically for CP 9th grade students to receive support from their teachers.  

Caitlin 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 for many years. 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 spending time with her husband and two sons, working on their DIY renovated home, exercising, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

 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.

 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.

Ketki Vazalwar joins WHS as a biology teacher following teaching assignments at Newton South High School and Concord Carlisle High School.  Having earned Masters in Microbiology in India and a Masters in Genetics and Genomics from UCONN, Ketki is excited to continue pursuing her two passions - science and teaching.  Outside of WHS, Ketki loves to paint, travel and explore new places, watch movies, read books, try new restaurants, and just be with friends and family, including her husband and two young children.