EXPLO Online 10-12 - Staff Bios

EXPLO Online 10-12 - Staff Bios

EXPLO Online Grades 10-12 Faculty

Sarah , Head of Programs (She/her/hers)

Sarah Ruter is the Head of Programs for grades 10-12. Sarah started her education career at EXPLO in 1996, where she held numerous positions from teacher to Dean of Students. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin (B.S. in Secondary Education) and the University of Minnesota Law School (J.D. cum laude). For years, she taught high school writing, public speaking, and literature and directed the theater program at a public school in Massachusetts. After law school, she practiced general, commercial, and employment litigation and served as a guardian ad litem in child protection cases. She was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law and Politics and an “Up and Coming Attorney” by Minnesota Lawyer. She returned to her first love, education, with EXPLO in 2010.

Andy , Assistant Head of Programs (He/him/his)

Andy Smith, Assistant Head of Programs, began his EXPLO career in 2007 and has worked as a senior administrator, including Director of Programming and Director of Curriculum and Instruction on various of our summer campuses. For five years, Andy worked during the academic year in curriculum development at the Exploration Center. He was a varsity swimmer in college and has coached several swim teams. Prior to joining EXPLO year round, Andy taught English in various New York state public schools. He’s also taught abroad, he was a teacher in Ghana and a literacy head teacher in Kenya. Andy earned his B.A. in English and education at the State University of New York, Geneseo and his M.A. in Critical and Creative Thinking from the University of Massachusetts with a focus on helping schools cultivate meaning and purpose in the lives of their students.

Barb , Director of Studies (She/her/hers)

Barb is a highly accomplished educational leader who is committed to cultivating classrooms based on inquiry, creativity, and exploration that make learning more engaging and joyful. With many years of teaching experience for a variety of age groups, Barb brings a passion for hands-on, creative, and interactive learning to her work at EXPLO. Barb’s accomplishments in both public schools and at the university level include piloting a new math and science curricula with a focus on integrating technology into the classroom, developing and implementing multi-disciplinary curricula, creating a district-wide staff mentor program, and starting a student peer tutor program. Barb earned her B.S. in Biology at Cornell University and her Master of Arts in Education, with a concentration in mathematics, at New England College.

Kielynne , Director of Teaching + Learning (She/her/hers)

Kielynne is the Director of Teaching + Learning for EXPLO Grades 10-12 programs. Since starting in 2008 as an Instructor + RA at EXPLO Boston (formerly at the St. Mark’s School), she has spent a few summers in the Office of Student Life and then became an administrator in the Office of Teaching + Learning, where she’s been for the past several summers. Kielynne was a high school science teacher and Department Head in a Boston area private school before joining EXPLO full-time in 2014. In addition to science, Kielynne is a lover of dance, baking, and spending time with her family.

Katherine , Assistant Director of Teaching + Learning (She/her/hers)

This is Katherine’s fourth summer with EXPLO. After several years of teaching high school English and two great summers serving as a Curriculum Advisor at our High School program, Katherine relocated from San Diego to Massachusetts to work full-time at EXPLO. In her full time role, she has developed curricula for several of our courses and served as the summer Assistant Director of Teaching + Learning. When she’s not working on developing our courses, Katherine can now be found back in sunny southern California working on the family farm. Katherine is excited to meet the challenge of bringing her curriculum to life in an online setting this summer and is looking forward to getting back in the classroom soon!

Candace , Director of Operations (She/her/hers)

Candace is the primary contact for staff and student programming such as activities and events. Candace began her time with EXPLO in 2013 at EXPLO New York (formerly in Wellesley, MA) serving as a Main Office Manager and then as the Director of the same. She then made the move from Virginia to Boston to take on a full-time position with the EXPLO high school program where she has held various roles. Prior to her time with EXPLO, Candace received a degree in Theater and Marketing from the College of William and Mary and went on to teach theater programs, work on theater productions, and directed the sales team for a regional theater in Washington DC.

Ariel , Registrar (She/her/hers)

Ariel began working with EXPLO in 2009 as an Instructor, and has worked in curriculum, programming, and other year-round capacities since then. She holds a Masters degree in Prevention, Science, and Practice, and a certification in K–12 School Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to joining EXPLO full-time, Ariel directed a K–8 before-and-after-school program in New Hampshire. Outside of EXPLO, Ariel is a jill of all trades (though master of few) and an avid distance runner.

Monique , EXPLO Admission Officer (She/her/hers)

Monique began her work with EXPLO as a Main Office Manager in 2018 and a Residence Director in 2019. She loves working with people and has held various caregiving and service oriented positions. Most recently, Monique came on board full time as an admission officer where she works directly with students and families to make sure they have all the information they need to pick the right EXPLO program for them. In addition to communicating with families, she will also be assisting the EXPLO Online 10-12 program in various places like social events and activities. Monique enjoys performing in and attending theater productions, singing Broadway show tunes anywhere, hiking, soccer, and spending time with her family.

Brian , Instructor (He/him/his)

Brian is a graduate of Baruch College where he majored in Finance. After a summer of teaching Investment Methods at our high school program, Brian landed a job with an international marketing research company. He currently serves as their Manager of Strategy, specializing in competitor and market intelligence, where he manages more than 30+ competitive and market intelligence projects and specializes in go-to-market strategies and environmental scanning. Since joining the team, Brian has conducted a highly successful competitive intelligence project on ride-hailing for a highly regarded law firm based out of Shanghai, China, and has also conducted global real estate appraisal for education organizations in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Matt , Instructor (He/him/his)

Matt is currently an AP U.S. Government and Politics instructor, whose previous assignments include a Military Professor of Joint Military Operations at the Naval War College and the US Military Academy at West Point. Recipient of numerous citations and medals, he served in Iraq where he was twice awarded a bronze star, and in Korea where he was recognized for his work with the United Nations Command Security Battalion as the Executive Officer. This is Matt’s second summer with EXPLO having taught the Foreign Affairs concentration in the summer of 2018. He is looking forward to exploring today’s society from a foreign affairs perspective with students who want to make a difference!

Noreen , Instructor (She/her/hers)

Noreen graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering before making the move to the northeast to pursue a doctoral degree in the same. Noreen loves teaching and recently taught a Bioengineering and College Prep course for high school students at a prestigious university in Boston. She loves to mentor and educate students in the world of science and technology. When she’s not conducting research, working in the lab, or teaching, Noreen enjoys hiking and playing soccer. She is excited to spend her first EXPLO summer introducing students to this exciting and rapidly growing engineering discipline.

Shazia , Instructor (She/her/hers)

Shazia returns for her second summer with EXPLO after teaching the Psychology + Neuroscience concentration in our summer 2019 session. Shazia holds a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and PhD in Psychology. Shazia recently completed a 20 year tenure as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Malaysia Sabah. During that time, Shazia was not only a teacher and a mentor, but she also conducted extensive research, developed expertise in curriculum development, and received accreditation and certification for new course module designs. Shazia is eager to begin with her students in the EXPLO Online Experimental Psychology course.

Torey , Instructor (She/her/hers)

Torey’s educational accomplishments include an undergraduate degree from Tulane University in Homeland Security and Emergency Management and a master's degree in Criminal Justice Administration and Forensics from Loyola University. Torey received her first level of tactical law enforcement training from the Department of Defense Naval Training Facility, and has since worked as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. She has experience with the Indiana State Police department, and currently holds a position with an Illinois police division. In addition to her field work, Torey also has experience in training and academics. She was an Adjunct Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Security Studies at Tulane University and continues to mentor students within the program. This is Torey's first summer with EXPLO and she is excited to share her experiences with our students!

Adriana , Teaching Assistant and Programming Leader (She/her/hers)

This is Adriana’s second summer with EXPLO. Adriana holds degrees in Music Education and Biology and has academic background in Behavioral Neuroscience. She has many years experience working in a makerspace where she led students through projects, worked extensively with modeling and editing software for 3D design and printing, and trained in robotics and engineering focused workshops. She is a multi-talented musician and particularly loves singing and playing piano. Adriana is also skilled in the science and art of music production including mixing and beatmaking. Adriana is looking forward to sharing this knowledge with students through assistant teaching and activity leading with EXPLO Online!

Jacob , Teaching Assistant and Programming Leader (He/him/his)

Jacob is a rising senior double majoring in Political Science and Economics. When he's not teaching, Jacob can be found campaigning, registering voters, or working with LGBTQ+ organizations and students. He currently serves as a policy fellow on a senate campaign and as a staff writer for the Clark University Political Review. Jacob's goal is to study how public policy can be configured to empower the most marginalized communities around the world, with an emphasis on understanding the links between inequality, climate change, and economics. Jacob is excited for his second EXPLO summer. He’s particularly interested in hearing the ideas and insights from students within the International Relations course, as well as from the I.R. club he will be leading.

Jess , Teaching Assistant and Programming Leader (She/her/hers)

This summer is Jess's seventh with EXPLO, and sixth with our high school program. She has taught several psychology and social studies courses and been an advisor and mentor to many of our instructors. Jess has been in New York City for the past three years teaching high school history and psychology. In addition to assisting with the Experimental Psychology course at EXPLO Online, her plans this summer include teaching a current events workshop, returning to glassblowing, running, and sitting directly in front of her fan to keep cool. Jess is looking forward to a summer of EXPLO fun before heading to law school in the fall.

Mafalda , Teaching Assistant and Programming Leader (He/him/his)

This is Mafalda’s sixth summer with EXPLO. During his time at our in-person high school program, he taught Genetic Engineering, Marine Biology, and Forensic Science. He loved his EXPLO experience working with high schoolers so much that he now works full-time in Residential Life as a Residence Director at a liberal arts pre-college in Massachusetts. In this role, Mafalda has the opportunity to work with, learn from, and support high schoolers year-round. In addition to assisting with the Criminal Profiling course, Mafalda will also lead the True Colors Club and host social events.

Jack , Programming Leader (He/him/his)

This will be Jack’s second summer with EXPLO. In the summer of 2019, Jack held a multifaceted role in which he was the teaching assistant for several of our Concentrations, including the Foreign Affairs program. Jack holds BA’s in History and Political Science and is currently working towards his Educational Masters in Social Studies. His current teaching repertoire includes Government, Economics, and US history. He enjoys cooking; talking about, looking at, and driving cars; and his favorite TV show character is Ron Swanson. Jack is excited to connect and work with the students in the Current Affairs Club at EXPLO Online this summer.

Michael , Programming Leader (He/him/his)

This is Michael’s third summer with EXPLO. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business + Entrepreneurship and has taught our Business Management and Team Building + Leadership offerings. In addition to his love of business and education, Michael loves being active. He is an avid weightlifter, enjoys a host of sports, holds a black belt in Karate, is a certified diver, and loves singing. Michael is excited to share his knowledge and interests with the EXPLO Online students this summer!

Tanina , Programming Leader (She/her/hers)

Tanina has been with the EXPLO High School program since 2016. In those years, she has taught Computer Programming and Latin Dance, and has served as a Residence Director. Tanina holds undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Dance and is currently pursuing her Masters in Information Technology. Her continued love of the arts and technology guides her education and career paths. She is exploring how technology and creativity can be used together to achieve greater understanding and innovation. Tanina is excited to lead activities in both areas this summer with the EXPLO Online students.

Will , Programming Leader (He/him/his)

Will has been with the EXPLO pre-college program for nine summers. He’s held many roles in teaching and in Residential Life. Most recently, Will served as the Program’s Dean of Students, where he focused on building community and supporting students. Outside of EXPLO, Will teaches high school history and social studies. This summer, he’ll lead Race + Identity in American Society, which aims to provide a framework for introspection, discussion, and (if desired) action regarding the topics of anti-racism and understanding oppression in our society today.