Eduardo Aleixandre teaches upper school Spanish and sponsors the Spanish Honor Society. He came to Bosque in 1997 from St. Pius High School where he taught Spanish. He previously taught at Sandia Prep, the University of New Mexico, and in California, Michigan, and Spain. Eduardo is a native of Spain, a graduate of Séminaire du Salève in France, and has an M.A. in interdisciplinary studies (French and English Literatures) from Andrews University, Michigan. He has also completed 51 doctoral credits in Spanish medieval literature and historical linguistics at UNM. The topic of his research is an edition of two fifteenth-century novels by Spanish author Juan de Flores. Eduardo got his teaching credentials at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and he is starting his twenty-sixth year of teaching.

Tom Allen, a native of Santa Fe, received a B.S. in environmental engineering from New Mexico Tech. After working in the air quality industry for several years, he returned to school to receive his master’s in teaching from Seattle University. He taught in the Seattle Public Schools and spent two years teaching middle school math and science at Billings Middle School in Seattle. At Bosque, he teaches seventh grade science and math. He currently serves as a supervisor on the board of the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District. He and his family and an assortment of animals live in the North Valley. He is excited about his eleventh year as a teacher, and his ninth year at Bosque.

Cathy Bailey teaches eighth grade science and coaches the upper school girls’ cross country team. Prior to working at Bosque, she taught at St. Clements Episcopal Day School in El Paso, Texas. There, she was Outdoor Education Director and taught science, reading, and math, and helped develop curriculum for those subjects. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her B.S. in political science with a minor in biology. She completed her M.A. in European history at the University of Texas at El Paso. An avid outdoors enthusiast, Cathy enjoys backpacking, gardening, horseback riding, swimming, and canoeing. Cathy's breadth of experience, genuine love of teaching and learning, and high level of energy are definite assets for the Bosque faculty and students.

David Bair teaches ninth grade Ancient World History and the Student Government class. He has taught United States and World History as well as Advanced Placement World History for the past 15 years. He has also taught Fine and Advertising Arts as well as a Humanities block. David is a National Board Certified teacher and holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Social Studies and Fine Arts. In the past nine years he has traveled with his students throughout Europe as a historical guide and mentor. He helps facilitate the student leadership program for Operation Smile, which is an international organization that benefits medical treatment of children and adults with facial deformities. Recently, David had an opportunity to travel with a Bosque student to Kolkotta, India, on an Operation Smile Medical Mission. This fall, he will be working with the international program in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  He enjoys playing guitar, hiking, backpacking, fly-fishing, and spending time with his wife and two children.

Susan Bapty, a native Californian, teaches eighth grade social studies. This will be her fifth year at Bosque after having taught fifth grade through university-level students throughout the United States and Japan. Susan received her B.A. in political science and international relations from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.A. in public policy administration from Mississippi State University. She spent a year studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, and has experience working on Capitol Hill on issues related to foreign affairs and defense conversion. While living in Okinawa, Japan, Susan completed the University of Maryland's secondary education certification program. She continues to teach upper and lower division political science for the University of Maryland University College. Susan lives in Albuquerque with her husband, two children and a pup named Frisco. Family, traveling and politics are her passions.

Chris Barr teaches 10^th grade Medieval World History. He holds three degrees from Purdue University, a B.S. in Management, a Master of Arts in English, and a PhD in British Renaissance Literature with a focus on the history of Medieval and Renaissance ideas. As an undergrad, Barr was an Academic All American football player. He’s taught high school, most recently at Bernalillo High School, and college. He won the Excellence in Teaching Award in the Dept. of English at Purdue for four consecutive years. He’s the proud parent of three grown children, two of them Bosque grads—Zach, Class of 2005, and Carolyn, Class of 2006. After a successful sojourn in the business world, Chris sees his return to teaching and Bosque as a happy homecoming. In his spare time, Barr enjoys family, good books, good talk, and sports, especially his beloved Purdue Boilermakers and Bosque Bobcats.

Melissa Behrens Blake is a well-known and highly respected local learning specialist and has been licensed as an educational diagnostician for the past twenty years. Her background is in the area of speech/language pathology; however, she found that she was most interested in the diagnostic evaluation process and pursued an additional degree in educational testing. She was involved in establishing a diagnostic unit for students seeking services at UNM and worked with college students for ten years. Then, missing her work with younger children, she moved into the UNM Psychology Clinic eight years ago. In addition to being able to work with all ages again, she has worked with doctoral students who are focusing their studies in the area of neuropsychological testing. Melissa has contracted, on a part-time basis, with Bosque School to help us interpret and implement recommendations from cognitive evaluations. Melissa will also provide guidance to faculty members as they try to open doors of opportunity for those youngsters with documented learning differences.

Ross Bergman serves as the Middle School Athletic Director and also teaches middle school physical education/health. Hailing from the Chicago area, Ross has a B.S. in kinesiology from Indiana University. Ross worked as a personal trainer as he completed an M.S. in exercise physiology from Benedictine University. Later, he earned an M.A. in physical education from Aurora University. An Illinois bench press record holder, Ross likes to incorporate his love for fitness in everyday lessons and feels that a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind, making for a more productive citizen. Ross has coached middle school volleyball, flag football, and several championship track and field teams. He enjoys skiing, playing keyboard and guitar, reading political commentary and religious history, and playing with his two sons.

Josh Breault teaches 12th Grade World History. He has a degree in English with a minor in History from UNM. He also has a degree in Education from UNM. Josh lives in Nob Hill with his wife Beth, and son Griffin.

Leslie Bronson is one of the library assistants at Bosque School. She has worked in libraries in elementary schools, middle schools, and in the university setting. Leslie has also been a substitute teacher and has coached volleyball for many years. She received her B.S. in Health and Sociology from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Leslie has two children, David, 17, and Kerri, 14.

Sheryl Chard became Bosque’s first Head of Middle School in 1998, after moving from Washington, DC, to make her home in the southwest near her family and the mountains she loves. In addition to her work as a division leader, Sheryl has taught English, humanities, and women’s studies, and has led students on many wilderness and international trips. Sheryl’s most recent professional adventure was a year of study at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was a Klingenstein Fellow. Sheryl earned her B.A. from Trinity University and her M.A. from George Washington University. She is near completion of a M.Ed. from Teachers College, Columbia University. When she is not on the Bosque campus, Sheryl can often be found several miles down a remote trail, reading a good novel, or writing for a small group of other want-to-be-writers. As a recent summer activity, she co-hosted an all-day music festival that included musicians from across the country, thereby satisfying her passion for soulful live music of all kinds.

Phyllis Church teaches middle school physical education and health. She also coaches the sixth grade volleyball team this year. Phyllis is a certified physical education, health and science teacher as well as a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist. She is an avid believer that the health and fitness of the entire person is essential to everyone no matter their age or profession. She is enthusiastic in teaching students to take responsibility for their own health and wellness. She came to New Mexico from Alaska to enjoy our fantastic sunshine. She has over twenty years of experience in teaching and eighteen years of coaching experience. Phyllis earned her B.S. from Alaska Methodist University and completed graduate work at Ohio State University and University of Oregon. Her favorite pastimes are spending time with her family and her Gordon Setter, Brie, martial arts, tennis, swimming, reading, and weight lifting.

Dan Cummings teaches American Literature and ninth grade English. He holds a B.A. in English from Colorado State University and an M.A. in English Literature from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. He has studied at St. Johns, Santa Fe and Exeter College, Oxford, where he earned the distinction of being a Name Scholar and President of his graduating class. Before moving to Albuquerque, Dan taught in Denver and Central America. He spends his summers as a research assistant in Chiapas, Mexico, where he also volunteers in a local community. Dan is learning to play guitar and is an avid supporter of the local music scene.

Kevin Cummins teaches ninth and eleventh grade English and journalism. Born in Rockaway Beach, Queens, raised beside the Erie Canal in western New York, and educated in Vermont, he earned an American Studies B.A. at Middlebury College and an M.A. at Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English. A writer, runner, bicyclist, husband, and father, he has taught at independent schools in New York, Connecticut, the Caribbean, and California. Kevin enjoys reading books with his daughter, helping his son learn to talk, and cooking with his wife. He is grateful to teach at Bosque School.

Ben Curry is joining Bosque School this year and will be teaching physics in the upper school. A global wanderer for most of his life, Ben found his call to teach while serving in the U.S. Navy aboard a submarine as a nuclear engineer. After his service in the Persian Gulf, he pursued his passion and graduated with a B.S. in Secondary Education from Ohio University. From there, Ben went on to teach in California for several years before moving abroad to teach physics in the International Baccalaureate program in the Netherlands and Peru. While teaching in the Netherlands, he earned his M.A. in Educational Technology from Michigan State University during summers in Plymouth, England. After five years of being overseas, he chose to return to the U.S. and make Albuquerque his new home; he cites the abundance of outdoor activities and excellent weather as a reason for choosing this location. Ben enjoys playing hockey, riding motorcycles and bicycles, and geocaching when he is not teaching.

Lori Czosnyka teaches Latin I, II, and III. She is a summa cum laude graduate from the University of New Mexico, where she received her B.A. degree in classical studies and M.A. with distinction in comparative literature and cultural studies. Lori taught both Latin and Greek at UNM and also worked as a graduate teaching assistant in both Roman and Greek civilization courses while completing her Master’s degree.

Jim Daly is in his seventh year at Bosque School.  He is the Assistant Head of Upper School for Students, upper school Winterim representative, and teaches Advanced Biology. A native of New Mexico, he spent thirteen years teaching in independent schools in California, Georgia, and Colorado before returning to New Mexico. He earned a B.A. in biology from Colorado College and received a Wal-Mart Foundation Teacher of the Year award while teaching in Georgia. Jim has a general interest in all things outdoors, and has been fortunate enough to pursuehis specific interests in evolutionary biology, ecology, and the migration of raptors at various research sites throughout North America. When not at Bosque School, Jim helps his wife, Cynthia, and their two children tend to the goats, chickens and alpacas on their small farm in the East Mountain area.

Kari Daniels grew up in Albuquerque where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from UNM. She taught elementary and middle school science for twenty-eight years at APS. Kari received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science as well as the Crystal Apple Award for teacher of the year from the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. She has done consulting work for Scholastic’s Super Science magazine, as well as the Magic School Bus video series. Her hobbies include gardening, camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing with her husband and two college age children. Kari is anxious to begin another year at Bosque and share her love of science with her students. 

Mark Daniels joined his wife Kari last year at Bosque School. He teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 in the upper school. Mark received his B.A. from the University of New Mexico. He taught math and coached for APS for twenty-nine years. His hobbies include hiking and camping with his family.

Sarah DeRosear returns to Bosque School this year to teach sixth grade life science. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Earlham College and her M.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine. Sarah worked as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management for 10 years in Lake Havasu City, Arizona and Medford, Oregon. After moving to Albuquerque in 2001, she was a consulting wildlife biologist for BLM projects in Arizona and Utah. Following her passion for education, Sarah completed all necessary graduate coursework at the University of New Mexico to earn her New Mexico teaching license in Secondary Education (with Science Endorsement). Sarah enjoys reading, writing, and traveling, especially with her two young, energetic children. She looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and life science with the students at Bosque.

Ann Dunbar, who teaches seventh grade art, graduated with distinction from the University of New Mexico, earning a B.A. in art. She has taught abroad at the International Community School in Istanbul, Turkey, and has run her own private art school in Albuquerque. Ann was artist in residence for the Albuquerque Children's Museum, where she created the Art Ark Project, a mobile art classroom for the larger community. She was an artist in the Global Depot at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. She also developed an art program for inmates at the Women’s Honor Unit of the State Penitentiary. Besides teaching, Ann is a practicing artist who has exhibited her work in many galleries throughout the states. She has received purchase awards from several museums and her work is in many private collections. Ann has a passion for travel and has lived in Iceland, Turkey, and Germany. She collects folk art and loves meeting the people who make it. Her latest travels include Mexico, Peru, and Morocco.

Jinni Durham teaches tenth grade English and film history. She holds a B.A. in English/Philosophy from the University of New Mexico, where she taught freshman composition as a teaching assistant. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received a Distinguished Students' Scholarship. Jinni also received a fellowship to attend the 2000 Klingenstein Summer Institute at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.

Stuart Fessinger is the instructor for all middle and upper school band classes. He is an Albuquerque native and who, after performing as a freelance musician earned a BME in Music Education at the University of New Mexico. He served for twenty-nine years as the band director at Eldorado High School and Sandia High School. During his tenure with APS, Mr. Fessinger received many awards including: the Crystal Apple Educator Award, the National Band Association Excellence Award and the New Mexico Music Educator Association Hall of Fame Award.

Juan Flores assumed the Assistant Head of School position in July of 2008. He will have responsibilities for the daily operations of the school. Most recently, he taught at the School of Education, University of Portland in Oregon. Juan has been a science teacher and an administrator in public and independent schools in Connecticut, Texas, Washington, DC, Hawaii, and Guam. He served as the superintendent of the Guam Public School System from 2003-2006. He has served in administrative positions at Colgate University, Franklin and Marshall College, and the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning in Honolulu, HI. Juan was born and raised on Guam and graduated from Father Duenas Memorial School. He earned his B.A. from Colgate University, his M.Ed. from the University of Portland, and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. Juan resides in Rio Rancho.

Amy Gerber will be teaching 7th grade art classes as well as taking on the task of Assistant College Counselor for Bosque's Upper School. A Seattle native, Amy has spent the past decade developing and leading youth art programs in West Africa, Central America, and across the United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Macalester College and a master’s in Art Education from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her first video documentary recently premiered at the Red Rock Film Festival in Utah's Zion National Park.  When Amy isn't dreaming up ways to change the world through art and education, she enjoys yoga, travel, and doing just about anything outside.

Denise Gleason teaches ninth and tenth graders Spanish I and II and co-coordinates Bosque’s Mexican Exchange Program. She graduated from the University of New Mexico, majoring in Teaching English as a Second Language and Spanish. Later, she received her M.A. in Cross-Cultural Curriculum Development and Instruction. For the past twenty-seven years, she has taught young children, teens and adults in dual language elementary schools in Albuquerque, at Valley High School, UNM, NMHU and Washington State University. She enjoys spending time in Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica and the middle Rio Grande Valley. It is here in the valley where she has lived the majority of her life and where she and her husband, Paul, share their home with a small farm of bilingual animals.

Quentin Guy grew up in Albuquerque and earned his B.A. in English at the University of New Mexico. Except for a stint at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he earned his M.A. in education, he has never wanted to live anywhere else. He is entering his fifth year at Bosque and will be helping sixth graders adjust to middle school life, along with overseeing the continued development of their English skills. He has done similar work at Albuquerque Academy and Solomon Schechter Day School. A bit of an English nerd, he unwittingly edits menus and billboards and actually really does enjoy Shakespeare, Milton and the King James Version, even though they’re all dead white guys. Quentin and his wife Maria have two young children.

Christine Hannaford moved to Albuquerque from Neos Marmaras, a small fishing  village in Halkidiki, Greece, and is entering her seventh year at Bosque School, where she teaches eighth grade English. Christine holds a B.A. in English from Trinity College of Vermont, an M.Ed. from St. Michael’s College, and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Goddard College. She has taught for more than twenty-five years at the middle school, high school, and college levels. She is also a writer who has published a few short stories and has several novels, short stories and a travel narrative looking for good homes. Her hobbies are too many to list, but traveling is certainly high among them. This past summer, she spent working on several short stories, “Collecting for the Junkman,” “Killed in the Line of Duty,” and “The Edge of Darkness,” all set in her native Vermont, as well as visiting family and friends east and west.  She lives in the North Valley with her husband and looks forward to the upcoming year.

Joanna Hart is a graduate of the Master’s Program in Vocal Performance at the University of New Mexico and received her bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorehead, Minnesota, where she studied under the renowned conductor Rene Clausen. Ms. Hart has sung roles with the Santa Fe Opera in their Showcase Productions, Opera Southwest, UNM Opera Theatre, and the International Opera Academy in Rome, and as a soloist with the Albuquerque Philharmonic, Concordia Choir, St. Joseph Symphony, UNM Orchestra, and the Concordia College Orchestra. Ms. Hart has performed various opera, oratorio, musical theatre and recital repertoire. She is in her fourth year as director of choirs at Bosque School and has found her true love in teaching. When not singing, teaching, or jogging, Ms. Hart loves spending time with her family.

Sky Jenkins is a long-time resident of New Mexico. Sky is very passionate about teaching and strives to create a classroom that is rich with students’ voices and excitement about learning. Her background in elementary education with a focus on social studies led to her earning a master’s with distinction in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of New Mexico. This is her tenth year teaching social studies at Bosque. She is currently the team leader for the sixth grade. Sky is the mother of two young children and enjoys the outdoors, photography and spending time with her family.

Doug Key is the Head of the Upper School and also teaches one section of 9th grade ancient history. Doug is beginning his eleventh year at Bosque School. For the past seven years he has overseen the transition of the upper school from about 100 students to the current enrollment of 292. In the past, he has taught seventh and eighth grade social studies, eleventh grade U.S. History, twelfth grade Modern History, coached middle school track and basketball, and founded the high school track program. He has also served on an Independent Schools Association of the Southwest accreditation team. Doug is a summa cum laude graduate from the University of New Mexico where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in history. For several years he has been working to complete his doctoral dissertation, a study of New Mexico politics at the beginning of the twentieth century. Prior to coming to Bosque School, for seven years, he worked in the UNM history department as a graduate teaching assistant. In addition to studying and teaching history, Doug ran track at UNM and worked outside academia in marketing. Doug is married and has four children (three girls and one boy): ten year-old August, eight year-old Addison, and four year-old twins, Quincy and Chamberlain.

Ryan Knapp joins Bosque School this year to teach sixth grade math. This will be his tenth year teaching math at this level; the past nine years have been spent teaching in Redwood City, California. His summers are spent teaching an intensive middle school math program at Stanford University. Ryan was born and raised near Rochester, New York, and he attended SUNY Potsdam. He majored in education and geology. During that time he was able to spend a year in Hawaii studying geology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. When Ryan is not teaching, he enjoys hiking, golfing, snowboarding and cooking. Ryan and his wife Angela are very excited to begin their new lives in New Mexico and to be part of the Bosque School community.

Jessie Larson teaches sixth grade Spanish, is the Spanish Department coordinator, and leads the middle school Winterim program at Bosque School. Jessie’s experience includes teaching fourth grade as a Teach for America teacher, training new teachers for Teach for America in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and earning an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from ASU and an M.Ed. in Education Leadership from Teachers College in NYC. Jessie earned her B.A. in Hispanic Studies from Harvard College where she played on the women’s soccer team. Jessie grew up in Albuquerque and is always drawn back to the beautiful southwest where she loves to snowboard, cycle and walk her dogs, Checha and Thumper.

Barbara Lazar will begin her second year at  Bosque as our seventh grade English teacher. With an undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in middle level education and a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on middle level education, she has spent most of her adult life working in middle schools teaching English, social studies, and science, as well as working in the UNM teacher education program and as an instructional coach. Her experience includes taking students on tours of Washington, DC, New York City, and Boston, as well as travel in Central America (as a training director for Amigos de la Americas), South America, and Europe. As a member of the Teacher Advisory Board of the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, she is also active in working with both students and adults in learning more about energy and energy conservation. Barbara and her husband are the parents of three daughters, two who are teachers, and one who is a high school student.

Leslie LaZar is returning to the Bosque faculty this year as a seventh and eighth grade Spanish teacher. She has worked and lived both in Latin America and New Mexico over the past fourteen years. Before coming to Bosque School, Leslie taught for ten years in the dual language program at Dolores Gonzales Elementary. She was active in the development, implementation, and research of dual language immersion programs in Albuquerque. Previously, she lived and worked for several years in Honduras as a Peace Corps Volunteer where she worked as a teacher trainer in rural schools. She also trained adult-literacy leaders in these communities. Before this, Leslie taught English to Mexican students at an American School in Veracruz, Mexico. She has traveled extensively throughout Latin America. She holds a B.A. in Education from the University of Arizona and M.A. from the University of New Mexico in Education with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. Leslie lives with her husband and two sons in Corrales.

Nina Leacock will be teaching eleventh and twelfth grade English this year. She has taught English to high school, college, and graduate students in Georgia and California. She was an undergraduate at the University of Michigan and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California, Irvine with a dissertation on character in novels by Jane Austen and Goethe.  Her essay on Goethe was published in the scholarly journal Narrative.  Nina loves walking in the mountains almost as much as she loves reading novels.  She lives with her husband and her dog in Cedar Crest.

Kim Leifeste is the Director of Technology at Bosque School. Kim has over twenty-five years of business, management, and technology experience. Prior to joining Bosque School, she ran a management and business consulting firm specializing in technology strategies, implementations, and process improvements. Prior to her consulting business, Kim worked in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Program with the U.S. Department of Energy and for Westinghouse and Control Data Corporation in technology implementations. Kim earned a B.A. degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from the University of New Mexico. Kim enjoys hiking the beautiful mountains of New Mexico.  Kim and her husband Gordon have two children in college.

Kim Lester teaches seventh grade math, eighth grade math, eighth grade algebra and the advanced sixth and seventh grade math class. She is a graduate of Cornell University, where she earned a B.S. in animal science and a D.V.M. degree. After practicing veterinary medicine for seven years, she switched to education, receiving a B.A. in elementary education from The College of Santa Fe. Kim has taught first grade through middle school in both public and private school settings in Albuquerque for the past twelve years.  In her free time, she can be found reading a book, traveling, pulling weeds, or taking a walk.

Sheri Mahoney teaches tenth grade biology and is currently in her eighth year of teaching science at Bosque. In addition to teaching, Sheri is the head coach for the upper school swimming and track and field teams. She holds a B.S. degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Tennessee. Sheri is currently attending UNM to complete a master’s degree in community and school counseling. In her free time, Sheri enjoys backpacking, reading, bicycling, swimming and playing with her two dogs, Atticus and Radley.

Nicolle Maniaci is the String Ensemble Director for Bosque School. She received her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of New Mexico and later returned to pursue advanced training music pedagogy. Over the past twenty-two years, Ms. Maniaci has been educating young string players in both the public and private sectors. She has had the pleasure of being a guest clinician for numerous schools throughout New Mexico and enjoyed a long career as a coach for the Albuquerque Youth Symphony program. Ms. Maniaci is a violinist in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Duke, Chatter, Opera Southwest, Taos Chamber Group, Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, and is a founding member of both the Eleganza StringQuartet and Chamisa Chamber Players. She also enjoys being the narrator of the New Mexico Symphony Youth Concerts and personnel manager of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.

Colleen McClure is in her tenth year of teaching drama at Bosque School. She earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees, with honors, from London University in both drama and music, and has over twenty-five years of experience in professional theatre and theatre education. Colleen has directed productions in England and the United States, performed extensively in London’s West End, throughout the United Kingdom and on stages across America. Her most recent film work is currently being featured in national film festivals. She also sang, played keyboards and wrote music for her English rock band. As a teacher, Colleen ran her own educational children’s threatre company, Mosaic, for over ten years. She has also taught numerous professional theatre workshops for adults. Colleen believes that experiencing the theatrical process firsthand can broaden studentsí educational horizons and social understanding; not just for those students with a strong interest in the arts, but for any participants. She is committed to offering classes that are interactive, imaginative and fun!

Peter Meehan has served as Director of Advancement at Bosque since 2004.  During this 15th Anniversary year at Bosque, he and the development team are working to bring Phase III of the Capital Campaign to a close and they continue to look at future needs outlined in the school’s Five Year Strategic Plan. In addition, the team is working to grow the Annual Fund support and communicate the continuing Bosque story. Peter joined the Bosque community following an 11-year tenure as Director of Development at Lawrence Woodmere Academy in Woodmere, Long Island, New York. He has also directed development efforts at schools in Rhode Island. Peter earned his undergraduate degree at the College of New Rochelle; he received his master’s degree in Institutional Advancement from Saint Mary’s University. He is an ardent Red Sox fan and a fan of all Bosque sports. Peter feels privileged to be a member of the Bosque School community.

TJ Middleton teaches Pre-Calculus, STAM (statistics & applied math), Calculus, and Calculus 2. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics education, and then taught college-prep math courses for 11 years at a public high school in Austin. Throughout the school year and during the summers, his experiences outside the classroom have included working at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California, leading teacher-training workshops about alternative assessment projects and graphing calculator instruction, attending a National Science Foundation seminar regarding discrete math, and working as a consultant with the College Board’s Advanced Placement program. In 2001, TJ’s interest in backpacking inspired him to move to New Mexico, where he obtained a Master of Science degree at UNM in pure mathematics and mathematics education. For the last three summers, he has also worked at Manzano Mountain Retreat as a ropes course facilitator (challenge courses on logs and wires to develop teamwork and self-confidence). TJ enters his 20th year of teaching in 2009-2010! In addition to his intense love for making math fun, TJ enjoys hiking, backpacking, biking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and snowboarding.

Steve Modzelewski is an upper school art teacher. Steve earned a B.F.A. from Kansas City Art Institute and an M.A. and M.F.A. from the University of New Mexico. Steve has exhibited his work for over 30 years and has taught college students for over twenty years in St. Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and most recently, Italy. In conjunction with teaching, Steve has worked with community art projects and group workshops, and residency and visiting arts programs to bring a variety of interdisciplinary, educational art experiences to all ages. He specializes in book arts, printmaking, drawing, and painting to bring art-making to people who would not otherwise have these opportunities. Steve is an outdoor painter who finds inspiration in his surroundings. He has a home studio in Corrales, which he shares with his wife of twenty-four years, Mary Anne, and with Hunny, his dog.

Ragan Montoya is one of the library assistants at Bosque School. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Northern Arizona University in Commercial Recreation and Business. She has eight years experience working in libraries from elementary level to the university level. Ragan has also coached volleyball for five years and worked for the Title I Homeless Project for Albuquerque Public Schools. She is married and has a twelve year old son named Kennedy.  

Juaquin A. Moya is the Director of College Guidance. He is a native of New Mexico and before joining the Bosque School community, Juaquin worked in the admission offices of Wesleyan University, Connecticut, and Occidental College, California. He is the Primary Coordinator for the New Mexico College Fair, and a member of the National Association of Independent Schools Call To Action board, Carolina Counselor Advisory Team, and the National Association of College Admission Counseling. Juaquin is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he obtained his B.A. in Political Science/Government with a focus on International Studies, and he was a McNair Scholar and a Dana Grant Recipient.

Alaura Nellos teaches 8th Grade Art and begins her fifth year as an educator at Bosque School. She earned her Bachelor’s with an emphasis in Art and Psychology and a Master’s degree in Art Education with a K-12 teacher’s license from The University of New Mexico. Her emphasis on multi-cultural education began in graduate school while simultaneously studying the pottery traditions of Mexico, southwestern Pueblos, and Japan. In addition to being a sculptor, Alaura enjoys being with her family while traveling, cooking, and feeding the birds and deer at their cabin in northern New Mexico.

Heather O’Shea teaches tenth and twelfth grade English and serves as the Assistant Head of the Upper School for Faculty. Heather received her B.A. in English, economics, and theology from the University of Notre Dame, and has completed an Executive M.B.A. and an M.A. in English at the University of New Mexico, where she taught for two years in the freshman English program. She received her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in December of 2002 by completing her dissertation, a study of American Poet Laureates. Heather’s poems have appeared in the Notre Dame Review and Blue Mesa Review. A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native, she has been in Albuquerque since 1988. Heather joined the Bosque faculty in 2001.

Maria Clara Rekow is a native of Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia, where she lived until age 26. She then came to the United States with her husband. Maria Clara has been a Spanish and ESL teacher for over nineteen years, and has worked extensively in curriculum and materials design. Maria Clara obtained a B.A. in Philology and Foreign Languages with concentration in Spanish and English at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. In 2000 she attended The School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont where she got her M.A. in Teaching with a concentration in Spanish. Maria Clara divides her time between teaching, flamenco dance, singing, reading, and raising a lively pre-schooler. Before moving to Albuquerque two years ago, Maria Clara lived in Washington state and California. In the coming year, she looks forward to conveying her enthusiasm for learning Spanish and exploring the Hispanic culture.

John Roth, a native New Yorker, has a B.A. in Greek from Dickinson College, an M.A. in Greek and Latin from the University of Vermont, and a Ph.D. in classics from New York University. He teaches Latin I-IV to grades 9-12. A classics teacher for 30 years, he has taught at the McCallie School, the Fay School, Saddle River Day School, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, the University of Vermont, and NYU. He has also worked as a freelance writer. Dr. Roth has lived and studied in Italy and Greece. His interests include restoring antique jeeps.

Clara Roybal, a native New Mexican, grew up in the small town of Las Vegas in northern New Mexico. She has lived in Albuquerque since 2001. She moved to Albuquerque after she completed her B.S. in mathematics from New Mexico Highlands University where she earned the Phillips Teaching Fellowship at Albuquerque Academy. In 2007, she completed her master’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in mathematics from the University of New Mexico. Clara has taught various math courses which include 8th Grade Math, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus. Currently, she teaches Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus. As she enters her eighth year as a math teacher at Bosque, she looks forward to continuing to work with all of her students and is passionate about contributing to the math program at Bosque School. Her hobbies include spending time with her family, making jewelry, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors and culture of New Mexico.

Marina Sage teaches middle school and upper school drama at Bosque. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Linfield College in Oregon and has spent the past 13 years teaching theatre. She has worked with the world famous Missoula Children’s Theatre in Montana, as well as the Albuquerque Academy summer session. She was the founder and president of Bloomin’ Actors, Inc., a non-profit children’s theatre company in Albuquerque. When she’s not teaching, she can be found at home spending time with her husband Patrick, and her three adorable sons, Sebastian, Noah, and Findlay.

Lori Sanchez is in her second year as Director of Student Development. Lori is a licensed professional counselor as well as a licensed K-12 school counselor. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the College of Santa Fe and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in Counseling and Family Studies. Lori’s special interests include the study of father-child attachment, solution-focused counseling, and grief/loss issues.  Lori lives in Corrales with her husband Chris and their daughter, Elijah. She enjoys running, reading, scrapbooking, and going to the movies.

Kimi Scheerer is the education coordinator for the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP). Kimi has a B.S. in biology from Alma College in Michigan and an M.S. in marine biology from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. She has been involved in environmental education since 2001, working with a variety of education programs in the U.S. and Caribbean. Her experience spans from nature centers to aquariums, an ecological institute, and several residential school programs. She works as the BEMP educational representative, assists with Bosque School's wildlife biology and conservation class, co-teaches UNM's Bosque Intern class, cultivates BEMP curriculum, and supports Bosque School field research projects.

Dan Shaw’s field-based science research with Bosque students has received local, state, and national recognition. As a founding teacher of Bosque School he has held a variety of positions and assignments. Presently, he teaches Wildlife Biology and Conservation and coaches cross-country in the Upper School. He also serves as the director of the Black Institute for Environmental Studies at Bosque School. In that capacity, he is a coordinator of the regional Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) and holds an appointment as adjunct faculty at the University of New Mexico’s Biology Department. He has written or co-authored over 50 articles and publications on wildlife, outdoor, environmental, and other topics, including several environmental books for teenagers. Dan has been an emergency medical technician and firefighter for over twenty years, holds an A.A.S. in Fire Science, and is a long-time member of the Placitas Volunteer Fire Brigade, where he served for five years as Fire Chief. Dan received his B.A. in Environmental Education from Prescott College and his M.A. in Science Education from the University of New Mexico.

Craig Snow teaches middle school physical education and health, is the associate director of athletics, and serves as the varsity boys’ basketball coach. In addition to coaching basketball at Bosque, Coach Snow also coaches the 17U elite team with the Granger Hurricanes AAU program. He received his B.S. from the University of Evansville. After college, he played professional basketball in both Luxembourg and Austria. Craig and his wife Jessica were recently blessed with their first child, a daughter, Adelynn Harper.

Mary Stockavas is beginning her second year as Director of Finance.  Before joining Bosque School she spent nineteen years as the chief financial officer of a large local business. Mary is a New Mexico native and earned a Bachelor of Accountancy at New Mexico State University before joining a large national accounting firm and working in public accounting for ten years. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.  Mary and her husband have two sons in college, a cat and a chocolate lab named Malcolm who loves to guard the Business Office at the school.

Anthony Strippoli teaches chemistry and advanced chemistry in the upper school. He holds B.S. degrees in both wildlife biology and education from the University of Wyoming. He earned his M.Ed. in science education from Utah State University. Anthony is a state-certified educator who came to Bosque in 2003 with seventeenyears of science teaching experience in both private and public schools in Utah, Virginia, and Florida. Prior to his arrival at Bosque, he taught chemistry and physical sciences, and coached the state-qualifying women's golf team at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida. Anthony enjoys playing golf (and coaching the upper school boys’ golf team), dining out, zymurgy (homebrewing), nature, playing guitar, and hiking in the great outdoors.

Mary Tuttle, Librarian, has earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, has completed the Library Science program from New Mexico State University, and is currently pursuing the MLIS degree with a Youth Librarianship specialization from San Jose State University. She is a member of the American Library Association and the New Mexico Library Association. Previously, she was the assistant librarian here at Bosque School, and the library coordinator at Immanuel Lutheran School, Albuquerque. Mary enjoys sharing her love of books and libraries with others and is enthusiastic about the growing book and online collections in the Gerald and Betty Ford Library. She is a long time Albuquerque resident and enjoys spending family time with her husband, Todd, and two sons, Kyle and Ryan.

Meg Underwood teaches U.S. history in the upper school and is originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She earned her B.A. from Cornell University in anthropology and archaeology. While at Cornell, she was a member of the NCAA Division I women’s varsity crew team and Kappa Delta sorority. Next, she received her M.A. in archaeology as well as a teaching degree from the University of New Mexico. While at UNM she was a member of the Maxwell Museum Board of Directors and a resident advisor in the dorms. She has been involved in archaeological digs in Ohio, New York, New Mexico, and Cortona, Italy. She has worked with the U.S. Forest Service as an archaeologist in both the Lincoln and the Gila National Forests and was also a social studies teacher in Moreno Valley, California. She enjoys hiking, skiing, running, and reading a good book.

Michael VeSeart teaches drama tech and heads the Bosque Tech Club, which lends production support to all Bosque School performances. Michael hails from southern California and has lived in New Mexico for almost thirty-five years. His talent for music and art naturally led him into theatre, beginning as a set designer, property master and performer. He has worked in nearly every aspect of the theatre arts and for many different performing companies including dance, theatre and opera. Michael comes to Bosque from the Albuquerque Biological Park. As a city employee, he was technical manager for the Kimo Theatre for fourteen years, and after transferring to the BioPark in 1997, became a technical production specialist, managing the stages at the Rio Grande Zoo and the Rio Grande Botanical Garden. He was the principle designer for the “River of Lights” holiday light show and coordinated the creative efforts for the haunted house as part of “Zoo Boo,” the zoo’s annual Halloween festival. Outside of teaching, Michael is an accomplished artist with numerous shows to this credit. He plays many musical instruments and is an avid antique motorcycle enthusiast.

Carter Walker teaches sixth grade art. He received his B.F.A from the Rhode Island School of Design. Carter worked as an assistant to the artist Craig McPherson, working on one of America's largest corporate art commissions, funded by American Express. He has been artist-in-residence at Château de La Napoule Art Foundation in France and at the Vermont Studio Center. Carter taught art to grades 1-5 at the Trevor Day School in New York City. Carter is a painter and photographer, showing his work to anyone who wants to see it.

Klaus Weber teaches upper and middle school physical education/health and serves as the Upper School Athletic Director. He also coaches varsity boys’ soccer and varsity boys’ tennis. He spent 27 years at the University of New Mexico coaching and teaching. He received his first degree from the Commerce College in Olten, Switzerland, his B.S. in education from Keene State College, and his M.S. from the University of New Mexico. His emphases in teaching are health and physical education as well as foreign languages (German, French). He has worked in management for the Marriott Corporation in New York City, played professional and semi-professional soccer, and conducted outdoor and wilderness programs at the University of New Mexico. His hobbies include skiing, backpacking, long distance mountain running, team sports, and fine literature. He loves to write and to generate new and exciting programs. Klaus is presently in his eighth year at Bosque School.

Eric Whitbeck teaches seventh grade Social Studies, coaches boys’ lacrosse, and chairs the History department. He has been at Bosque since 2004 and joined the faculty after completing his MA in American History at UNM. Eric also has a BS in Multicultural Education. He is an avid reader, a recreational cyclist, and is mildly obsessed with rock climbing. Eric also enjoys music, art, film, and walking around his neighborhood in Nob Hill. 

Chris Wilcox teaches Latin I, II, and IV in the upper school. He hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught both middle and upper school Latin for six years at Springside School and Chestnut Hill Academy. He taught Latin there at all levels and ran the Advanced Placement Latin program for three years. Chris completed his undergraduate work at the University of Chicago and recently completed his coursework for his master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University. In his spare time, he enjoys studying other languages, traveling, and enjoying the day. Chris currently lives with his partner across the bosque in the North Valley.

Molly Wooden is Associate Director of Admission. The daughter of an independent school head in Richmond, Virginia, she has made a life long career of service to young people. She graduated from St. Catherine’s School in 1975 and earned a B.A. in History from Trinity College in Hartford, Ct. in 1979.  Prior to her move to New Mexico with her husband, Andrew Wooden, in 1996, Molly’s career in education included positions at The Hotchkiss School, Choate Rosemary Hall and Yale University. She has served as an officer of admissions, advancement and college counseling as well as teacher, advisor, and coach.

Andy Wright is the Assistant Head of the Middle School, and he also teaches two classes of eighth grade algebra. After graduating with a B.A. in geology from Earlham College, he earned a teaching credential in secondary mathematics from Fresno State University. Since then he has worked in both boarding and day schools as a teacher and administrator in Utah, Pennsylvania, California and Kenya. He is in his eleventh year at Bosque School and lives in the North Valley of Albuquerque along with his wife and two teenage sons.