Instructor Bios

What kind of instructors we putting in the classroom with your children? Amazing adults, many of whom have multiple degrees, languages and/or children of their own. Why would they work for us? Because we’re a great, flexible place to work and we pay and perk better than anyone similar  organization.  Yes, all of our instructors have been fingerprinted and have passed a background check. They’re all certified First Aid and most are or have been certified in CPR! Ask about our classes and parties in other languages …

Learn more about our background checks and other steps we take to keep your children safe.

 

Let’s start with the guy who trains the rest of us …

 

Will H.

Will is our director of curriculum and teacher training. He spent much of his childhood in Okinawa before moving here. He has been known to speak Japanese in his sleep. After getting his degree in electrical engineering, he spent seven years working for the defense industry before deciding to become a teacher. He taught math and later, principles of engineering for five years in D.C. public high schools -  until 2010, when he decided that he um… needed a break from the adventures of DCPS.

Will designed several of our courses, including Robo Challenge, Electronics, Video Game Programming, Mindstorms and  Young Engineers, which he especially likes because, seriously … how many people get  paid to teach kids how to build catapults and then use them to lob water balloons?

Will vets most of our new hires. We make a point of getting our instructors to teach alongside Will  to get an idea of how a seasoned enthusiastic teacher can fire up his students!

All of our instructors get rave reviews, but Will seems to get quite a few. Let us know if he’s been bribing you to send them. Like this comment, from a parent of a child in one of his electronics classes:

Will is phenomenal, and all that I spoke with from his class agree. He has single-handedly given quite a few students, including a notable number of girls, a great interest in the science, math, engineering and technology fields. He connects with the kids, explains difficult concepts with ease, and has a passion for the material that is contagious. I cannot say enough good things about him.

When Will’s not working for us you can find him learning how to be a work-at-home dad for his baby boy! When he’s not suffering from sleep deprivation, you may also find him on his bike (mostly dirt jumping and down-hilling, which he does with a full helmet), recovering from his various mtb injuries, playing with his German Shepherds (both acquired from a rescue group) or cooking all kinds of food! He may be the only guy we know who is married to a vegetarian, enjoys cooking vegetarian … and yet can butcher a pig and talk enthusiastically about how to cook all the parts.

M.A. in Secondary Education, American University; B.S. Electrical Engineering, George Mason University.

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Mindstorms, Young Engineers, Electronics

 

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Alpha by first name

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Aja

Aja is a French major at the University of Maryland who plans to get a master’s in secondary education. She attended Robert Goddard French Immersion School for elementary and middle school and later worked there for several summers as a camp counselor. This past summer, she was the chief counselor at several of our own camps!

Among other things, Aja has worked as a math tutor for fourth graders in Title I schools. When she least suspects it, we’re going to see if we can sign her up to teach our core robotics class in French!

Class of 2013, B.A., French, University of Maryland, College Park

Fluent in:French

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Storybook Science, LEGO® Engineers

Parties: LEGO® Robotics

 

 

Andrew

Andrew is an inventor and engineer. His major inventions include an airbrush-art machine and a knitting robot. He is a handy-man who can fix just about anything. He spent much of his childhood creating catapults, bow and arrows, slings, cannons, and other mechanical devices. He can do backyard architecture too: gazebos and tiered gardens and whatnot.

When he’s not inventing, he likes to play piano orpractices the dance-martial-art of Capoeira, which was displayed in the Tekken game through player Eddy Gordo.  His interests range  from quantum mechanics to string theory to ancient history and beyond. Spark up a conversation and you’ll surely have lots to talk about!

B.S. Computer Engineering, specialization in Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University.

 Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Electronics, Young Engineers

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge

 

 

Belle

Belle is a recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where she studied Biological Sciences and Psychology. Her research interests are in video games and their impact on the brain.

Belle currently volunteers at Howard University Hospital while applying to medical school. In the spring, she plans to resume taking classes because there’s so much more she wants to learn.

When she’s not teaching for us or volunteering, you can find her gaming, watching anime, juggling, writing fiction, teaching herself programming and drawing. We especially like that she’s a good juggler, because jugglers make awesome instructors!

B.S., Biological Sciences and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University; Graduate, National Cathedral School

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Video Game Programming

 

 

Ben

Ben is a Technology Education Teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. He teaches Project Lead the Way Introduction to Engineering Design and Foundations of Technology. Before that, he taught technology education in middle school, where his students were part of competitive robotics team. He has a strong passion for science, technology, and robotics and is looking forward to teaching Mindstorms.

Ben was born in Bradenton, Florida, but spent half his life in Kittanning, PA near Pittsburgh! **Go STEELERS! ** (And Penguins!!) He now lives in Howard County, Maryland.

When he’s not playing with robots at schools, look for him outside. He enjoys everything from playing in sand on the beach to tearing up some single track in the mountains on his bike. (Here’s hoping he doesn’t suffer as many mtb injuries as our curriculum director!) He also loves to spend time with his boxer Chester and mini dachshund Oscar.

Certification in Technology Education and B.S., Science and Technologies, both from California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA. AAS, Applied Science Degree in Computer Aided Drafting Technologies, Butler County Community College, Butler, PA.

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Mindstorms

 

 

Brook

Brook  is one of those guitar-playing neurobiology students who wants to be a doctor. And we think he has great odds. In addition to being an honor student at the University of Md., he’s also logged many hours in labs, playing around with organic chemistry and gel electrophoresis.

He’s volunteered at the Specialty Hospital of Washington and dabbled in bookselling. Which was a great fit for him because one of his other hobbies is reading. Oh – and taking care of his younger sister. (While reading? We’re not sure).

Brook’s already traveling all over the county for us, teaching robotics. If we ever offer a class in gel electrophoresis, guess who’s going to teach it?

Class of 2014, B.S., Neurobiology and Physiology, University of Maryland, College Park. Graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School Science and Tech program with a 3.9 GPA.

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, LEGO® Engineers.

 

 

Cathy

Cathy has been teaching children for over twenty-five years. She began homeschooling her children in 2006 and loves performing all kinds hands-on science experiments with them including making elephant toothpaste and making ball bearings disappear.

She is best known around her neighborhood as the “Spirit Lady” for her kids’ swim team and can be found on a summer afternoon making dozens and dozens of duct tape Elvis wigs, light sabers, and other fun stuff with the swimmers.

When not planning curricula for her homeschool or preparing to teach one of our classes, Cathy is most likely thinking about food. She has a developed passion for salted caramel and chocolate, and spends her mornings running so she can eat without guilt.

Master’s of Education, Early Childhoood Education; University of Maryland. B.S.L Linguistics, Chinese, Georgetown University.

Classes: Storybook Science, LEGO® Engineers.

 

 

Chana

Chana is a physicist who started out doing research, but left the lab in search of people. She ran a physics and chemistry pre-college program at Morgan State University and taught science for public and private schools in Baltimore County.

Chana homeschools her own four children. In her “spare” time, she’s a Children’s TV editor for BellaOnline (the second largest website for women), a columnist on parenting issues, a singer, songwriter and  musician who co-founded her own group and  … wait … we must have forgotten something?

Oh yes. Until her youngest two children were born, she ran her own (yes, successful!)  baking business, which featured custom cakes, pies, cookies … When her kids get older she might get them to help re-open the family bakery.

B.S. Physics, Morgan State University

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Storybook Science

 

 

Cody

Cody grew up arms-deep in his LEGO® tub searching for the best piece to build his stories – stories where Robin Hood and his Merry Spacemen conquered a castle only after some help from a giant robot and pirate ghosts on motorcycles …  It was no surprise, then, that he went on to major in kinetic sculpture, which involves creating machines that can do things like drawing self-portraits and wave hello).

So what do you do with a degree kinetic sculpture? Cody put his to good use by teaching English  in China. After three years of teaching and traveling abroad, he moved here, where he now designs and illustrates mobile apps and does art for everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood grocery store, Trader Joe’s. [It really is our team's favorite!]

He spends his free time illustrating mobile apps and performing science in his basement. In addition to teaching for us, Cody’s looking forward to helping us develop some cool programming classes for older kids.

B.F.A., Kinetic Sculpture, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL.

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Mindstorms

 

 

Ely

Ely is the only one of us who started his career with a slide rule! He’s a retired structural engineer who spent his career designing and testing hulls for the U.S. Navy. He’s an active supporter of after school science programs.

In addition to teaching Electronics for us, he volunteers for the U.S. Navy’s and M.I.T.’s Sea Perch underwater robotics program.

Ely also volunteers at the awesome National Capital Trolley Museum on Bonifant Road in Silver Spring If you haven’t been yet, head on out and check out the old trolleys! Ely is part of a dedicated team who refurbishes them and keeps them running.

Education: M.S. Structural Engineering and B.S. Civil Engineering, George Washington University. Ely is a proud graduate of Wheaton H.S. right here in Wheaton, Md.

Classes: Electronics, Robo Challenge, Young Engineers

 

 

Greg

Greg  works full time as a research assistant with the Defense and Veteran’s Center for Integrated Pain Management.  He spends his days at the Wounded Warrior Clinic in the Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda. He’s part of a team trying to find ways to better understand and treat pain in the military population!

Greg joined us at the very start and helped us make a name for ourselves; he remains one of our most requested party leaders. He wore out his Mindstorms kit while he was growing up – and at one point, designed a motion-activated burglar alarm that would snap a photo of the unknown person who had taken to stealing his Halloween candy (busted: his sister!)

When he’s not slaving away at his day job or teaching for us, you might find him running, bicycling to work or snapping photos. He took some awesome shots on a recent trip to Yosemite National Park.

B.S. Biology, The College of New Jersey

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Mindstorms

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Mindstorms

 

 

 

Hani

Hani is an electrical engineer. He started out at working for Northrup Grumman in Los Angeles and now works at the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University.

Hani’s a huge fan of promoting engineering for kids. He has volunteered for the Northrup-Grumman Innovation Challenge for high school students (who wouldn’t want want to build radio-controlled air ships that can navigate obstacle courses .. ?) and for the Society of Women Engineers, to encourage more girls to get into engineering. This February he plans to lend a hand to the FIRST Robotics competition at Johns Hopkins.

Hani loves teaching Mindstorms.  You’re most likely to see him in classes that take place near Olney, where he lives. In Fall of 2012, he’s starting a PhD program while continuing to work to APL; so he’s taking a break from teaching classes until 2013.

PhD student, Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland; M.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois; B.A., Mathematics, University of Texas; B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Texas.

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Mindstorms

 

 

Jason

Jason works full-time as a special ed teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. in addition to teaching some evening classes, he is our special-ed consultant, and is requested to lead our parties for children with special needs.

After graduating with a degree in criminology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania – yup, that’s the one based in Indiana PA, hometown of none other than Jimmy Stewart – Jason got his first job working with juvenile offenders. From there, he completed his master’s in special ed at Johns Hopkins and spent the next decade working for various agencies with emotionally disturbed children as well  as children with autism. Along the way, he worked for Sheppard Pratt, running a school for kids with autism.

When he’s not working with other people’s kids, Jason likes to spend time with his wife and their son. He’s a huge fan of the Oakland Raiders, the Pittsburgh Penguins, country music, Seattle grunge, classic rock … trips to Jamaica …  and now, less than two years into fatherhood, he’s discovered the he also has a profound admiration for the movies Cars 1 and Cars 2. (We rather like Fin McMissile ourselves).

Too bad Jason’s not a Steelers fan! If he were he’d be the second person on our team with a Terrible Towel. If you have any affiliation with Pittsburgh, you’ll know what that means.

M.S. Special Ed, Johns Hopkins University; B.S. Criminology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

 

Classes:LEGO® Robotics,  Crime Science

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Crime Science

 

 

Jeff B.

Jeff started his professional career as an engineer in New York City, but then decided to move to Japan to teach English. He’s currently doing his best to learn to read, speak, and write Japanese fluently. He hopes that in addition to tutor, teacher, and engineer he’ll eventually be able to add the title of Japanese translator.

 

Laura

Laura is our Summer Camp Program Director and Events Coordinator. In fall of 2011 she launched our new  Girls Get Science evenings, which feature hands-on activities for girls and panels of women scientists and engineers. Our first event sold out in just a few days! Look for our next Girls Get Science event this fall!

A former adjunct professor of American Government, Laura has published and presented on several topics including  immigrant contributions to California and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Laura developed our new Storybook Science class and, since she’s a homeschooler herself, she is our chief liaison with homeschoolers. When she’s not picking up LEGO®s, chasing chickens or teaching classes for The GrAd Lab, she works as the finance director of a small non-profit, Tall Oaks Waldorf Network, which she co-founded with several other homeschooling parents.

Laura has logged time in many venues including San Francisco’s tenderloin neighborhood and a western dudette ranch (run by women).  Nowadays she lives a more suburban life with her husband, their three children and a medium-sized menagerie near Silver Spring’s Four Corners neighborhood. And yes – she’s one of Montgomery County’s backyard chicken people!

Ph.D. Political Science, Claremont Graduate University; M.A. Political Science, Claremont Graduate University, Political Science; B.A., International Relations, Stanford University.

Fluent in: French.

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Electronics, Video Game Programming, Storybook Science, Young Engineers

 

 

Monique

Monique’s career and education have a broad span! She earned degrees in Brazil and Spain, then moved to Rome where she ran her own cell phone sales business and later worked in sales for designer clothes companies including Versace and Prada. Here in the U.S. she’s worked as a buyer and assistant buyers for fashion shops in Chevy Chase and Bethesda. She continues to work as an Italian interpreter.

So, why do we love her? Turns out she’s amazing in the classroom with young children. She now teaches four days a week for us. We are grateful to have such a friendly kid expert on the team!

 

M.S., Food Science, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Valencia Spain; B.S., Biology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Fluent in: Spanish, Italian and Portuguese 

 

Classes: Lego Engineers.

 

 

Natalia

Natalia is a Russian-born physicist who teaches ten classes a week for us, including three in Russian!

She has taught math, logic and physics in Russia, and was also a lecturer in Physics at the Kazan School of Ballet in Kazan, which is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, and also the eighth largest

city in Russia. No wonder those Russian ballet dancers are so great – they study physics!

After earning degrees in physics in Russia, she worked for four years researching molecular dynamics at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She was partway through her PhD in physics when  she gave birth to her daughter and put that on hold.

When we found Natalia, she was already addicted to Scratch, which we teach in our Video Game Programming class. Her home features some of our favorite toys including the Elenco Snap-On electronics kit we use in our Electronics classes .. and Carcasonne (which is just a fun game!).

Here in the U.S., Natalia teaches craft courses, host of a weekly needlework circle, board game night, math circle and Russian story time at her apartment complex in Rockville. Since she joined us in late fall, she’s set up several Russian-language robotics classes in Gaithersburg. Go, Natalia!

M.S. summa cum laude in Physics of Atoms and Molecules and B.S. summa cum laude in Physics (Optics and Spectroscopy), both from Kazan State University, Russia.

Fluent in: Russian.

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Mindstorms

 

 

Nicole

Nicole is a former Congressional page, a one-time winner of “Algebra Student of the Year” in high school, and is now majoring in elementary education and math.  She probably teaches more classes and does more parties than any of our other instructors, and has so far been able to maintain her straight-A average while doing it. Go, Nicole!

In addition to slaving away for us as an instructor, Nicole also serves as our Birthday Party Coordinator and the person in charge of our equipment! She’s the one who makes sure we get the right equipment to the right class at the right time. If we ever show up somewhere with faulty or no equipment, blame her!

When she’s making lots of money working for us (we funded her new car!) or studying, she is usually attending or helping staff church events, volunteering,  exploring the DC area thrift stores, sewing, or, very seldom, sleeping. She is also plotting to open her own charter school and run for city council. That is not a joke.

We’re thinking that when she graduates she’ll be the perfect technology director for an elementary school! We may not let her leave us, though.

Education: Class of 2013, B.A. Elementary Education, University of Maryland, College Park.

Languages: Passable Spanish!

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Mindstorms, Video Game Programming,  Crime Science, Storybook Science, LEGO® Engineers, Young Engineers

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Crime Science, Storybook Science

 

Rishabh

Rishabh is premedical student majoring in biology at the University of Md., College Park.

He’s done a lot of volunteer work with kids including shadowing doctors at the Pediatric Emergency Room at the University of Maryland Medical Center; mentoring and tutoring second and fourth grade students; and serving as a Special Olympics escort for elementary school students. Also impressive: he enjoys cooking for his 12-year-old sister!

Rishabh teaches several of our robotics classes and also proved to be an able assistant instructor for an electronics class this spring.

Education: Class of 2014, B.S. Biology, University of Maryland, College Park.

on sabbatical until summer 2013.

Fluent in: Telugu, Hindi and Spanish

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, LEGO® Engineers, Young Engineers

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge

 

 

      Saurabh

Saurabh is a Kinesiology major at University of Md., College Park. He recently ran a half marathon and enjoys working out – powered by a vegetarian diet. When he’s not in school or teaching all over the area for us, he works with disabled and under-privileged children from Prince Georges County Public Schools, in the University of Maryland’s Child Development Clinic.

Like many of our instructors, Saurabh is a veteran of summer camps! Oh. And he’s a die-hard Redskins fan!

As you can see, Saurabh is living the high life, thanks to our high rate of pay. Nice car, dude!

Education: Class of 2013, B.S. Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park

Fluent in: Hindi

On sabbatical from after school classes for: winter 2013

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Young Engineers

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge

 

 

     Shannan

Shannan works by day as a fourth-grade math teacher in Prince Georges County Public Schools. She has the kind of background we love: she started out as a civil engineering major, but then switched to human development because she wants to work with kids while indulging her love for all things math, science and engineering-related.

Shannan wins our heroic commuter prize hands-down. She lives in Westminster, Md., about two inches from the Pennsylvania border, and will be teaching for us in Columbia, Md. after school, on her way home from her full-time job in PG County. She lives with her fiance and one of our future students, her 17-month-old daughter!

When she’s not driving all over the mid-Atlantic to inspire the next generation of STEM students … she plays co-ed softball. Before that, she says she spent her whole life playing field hockey …

We are totally excited to have Shannan on our new team in Columbia, Md.

Master of Education, Counselor Education, Virginia Commonwealth University and B.S, Human Development, both from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge

Parties: LEGO® Robotics

 

 

     Sommany

Sommany is a special education teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. She works primarily with grades two through five but has also taught and provided behavioral services for children up to age 15.

Sommany is one of those unwaveringly cheerful instructors. She has taught for us at several schools including Cashell E.S. in Olney and Rock Creek Forest E.S. in Bethesda.

In her free time she enjoys traveling to places including Thailand!

Master of Education, Special Education, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg PA; B.S. Biobehavioral Science, Penn State.

Languages: conversational Thai

 

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge

Parties: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge

 

 

Wilbur

Wilbur founded and runs Corbin Creative Databases, a company that designs and builds databases for all kinds of private sector clients. His teaching experience began back in high school, when he started tutoring fellow students, and has grown to include college students, trade school students and now, elementary school students.

Wilbur has two young children. He decided to join us so he could teach our classes at his son’s school, Rachel Carson E.S.!

In his alleged spare time, Wilbur likes to play squash and poker and do some kite surfing.

M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland; B.a., Engineering Sciences, Dartmouth. 

Fluent in: German and Thai. (he also speaks a bit of Russian and French!)

 

 

Will K.

Will first came to us as a parent aide. After spending an extra year at the University of Oklahoma, where he indulged his curiosity by supplementing his chemical engineering major with classes in ballet, he served in the Peace Corps in Cameroon in the mid-1980s.

Most recently, he worked for a dozen years as a tropical epidemiologist in Papua New Guinea. Ask him about plasmodium sometime.

Until we furnished him with a Broadband-to-Go stick, Will was stymied by his Adelphi, Md. dial-up connection, which he swears is slower than the one he used in Papua New Guinea, where he served as the local IT man. Unfortunately, even his new wireless internet connection, provided by ahem, Sprint/ Virgin Mobile … doesn’t work so well in Adelphi. So yes, he’s one of those folks who has to scrounge for wireless internet access in and around the Paneras and Starbucks of the world.

When he’s not teaching for us, or puzzling over better ways to keep all the pieces in our kits properly sorted, Will likes to spend time with his 10-year-old daughter. He reports that he’s not natively gifted as an assistant soccer coach, though it’s his presence at the practices that seems to count. Will is also the caretaker and an active member of the Friends Meeting House in Adelphi, Md.

M.S. in Tropical Public Health, Harvard University, B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma.

Fluent in: Melanesian Pidgin. Really.

Classes: LEGO® Robotics, Robo Challenge, Young Engineers, Video Game Programming