Rachel Alder teaches sixth grade physical education and coaches seventh grade volleyball. She is a recent graduate of Brigham Young University where she majored in history with an emphasis in European history. Rachel loves spending time with her husband Eric and enjoys playing volleyball, running, hiking, and camping.

Eduardo Aleixandre teaches upper school Spanish, sponsors the Spanish Honor Society, and co-directs the Summer Study Abroad Program in Santander, Spain. He came to Bosque 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 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-fourth 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 Corrales.

Cathy Bailey teaches eighth grade science, sponsors middle school student government and coaches the varsity cross country and sixth grade girl’s basketball teams. 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. He has taught United States and world history for the past twelve years, Advanced Placement World History for the past four 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 six years he has traveled with his students throughout Europe as a historical guide and mentor. This past year, David assisted in the development of a National Geographic curriculum for New Mexico middle schools that emphasized the geography and cultures of the region. He is presently organizing a student leadership program for Operation Smile, which is an international organization that facilitates the medical treatment of children and adults with facial deformities. 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 third 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.

Mari Bauman graduated from the College of Wooster with a B.A. in Native American history and a minor in poetry. She has worked in outdoor education and emergency medicine, and taught elementary school for seven years in the Albuquerque area. Mari is in the process of receiving her M.Ed. from The College of Santa Fe. She has been the Community Service Director for the past five years and she also teaches sixth grade study skills. In her spare time she loves to ride horses, hike, ski, and read.

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, but, missing her work with younger children, 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.

Marietta Benevento, a graduate of the Santa Fe/UNM teacher training program, returns to Bosque School for a second year, teaching eighth grade English. She arrived in Albuquerque from New York City, where she was a Senior Vice President and Creative Director at the Foote Cone Belding advertising agency. Marietta has studied speech and theatre at Northwestern University, voice and composition at the Berklee School of Music, and holds a B.A. in psychology from Columbia University. In her free time, Marietta enjoys exploring New Mexico, working on her music, and digging/planting/watering her garden.

Ben Benjamin teaches pre-calculus. He earned his B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy and a law degree from the University of Texas. Prior to beginning his teaching career in 1997, Ben was a partner in a law firm; he practiced for 27 years in the firm’s Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. offices.

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 Brault is starting his first year at Bosque School. He is a life-long resident of Albuquerque, and is a graduate of the University of New Mexico. Josh has a degree in English and is licensed to teach English and history. He has spent the last four years teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade at North Valley Academy Charter School. He lives with his wife Beth, three dogs, eight snakes, two turtles, two tarantulas, and a scorpion named Grabby.

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. This past summer, 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 and coaches the eighth grade girls’ volleyball team. Phyllis earned her B.S. from Alaska Methodist University and completed graduate work at Ohio State University and University of Oregon. She is a certified physical education, health and science teacher, as well as a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist. Phyllis has over twenty years of experience in teaching and coaching, and 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 came to New Mexico from Alaska to enjoy our fantastic sunshine. Phyllis enjoys spending time with her family and dog and all kinds of physical activities including martial arts, weightlifting, and tennis. She is also an avid reader in her down time.

Kevin Cummins teaches ninth and eleventh grade English. Born in Rockaway Beach, Queens, raised beside the Erie Canal in western New York, and educated in Vermont, he earned a B.A. in American studies 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. He enjoys camping with his wife and daughter, making blueberry pancakes, and playing ice hockey.

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 beginning his fifth year at Bosque, 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 has been fortunate enough to pursue his 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 chores on their small farm in the East Mountain area.

Kari Daniels grew up in Albuquerque where she earned her bachelors and masters 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 looking forward to becoming a part of the Bosque community and sharing her passion for science with her students.

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.

Camille Dominguez teaches algebra and geometry after five years of teaching nearly every level of math and science in other schools. With a B.A. in math and chemistry from Mount Holyoke College, she loves challenging her students and teaching them to appreciate the material as much as she does. When she is not at school, she is probably playing with her dogs or traveling, determined to see as much of the world as she can!

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. She also coordinates activities for ninth – twelfth grade students. 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.

Jan Garrett teaches seventh grade English and social studies. She received her B.A. from Eastern New Mexico University and her M.A. from the University of New Mexico. Jan taught in the Albuquerque Public Schools for 28 years. Besides her classroom experience, she also worked in staff development, assisting teachers in effective teaching strategies and coordinating the New Teacher Support Program. Jan is a native New Mexican who enjoys traveling, reading, movies and tennis.

Denise Gleason teaches seventh and eighth graders Spanish. She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1981, majoring in teaching English as a Second Language and Spanish. Later, she received her M.A. in cross-cultural curriculum development and instruction from UNM in 1992. For the past twenty years, she has taught children and adults in dual language elementary schools in Albuquerque, at Valley High School, at UNM, at NMHU and at Washington State University. She enjoys spending time in Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica and the middle Rio Grande valley. Here in the valley is 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.

Pauline Goolsby has been teaching middle and high school math and science for 15 years. She has a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and a M.A. in secondary education from the University of New Mexico. Pauline will be teaching ninth grade physical science part-time. When not teaching, she enjoys sewing, quilting, walking and spending time with her husband.

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 third 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.

Safa Hamze teaches sixth grade math. Safa grew up in Lebanon and moved to North Carolina. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, with a B.S. in middle school math and science education. Safa has taught math and science in middle and high schools in North Carolina and New York. He has also been a professional baker in Kansas as well as a professional baseball announcer. In his free time he enjoys playing the guitar (Guthrie, Cash, Dylan, Young, etc.) riding his bike, participating in intercontinental Trivial Pursuit challenges, snowboarding and playing any sport under the sun.

Christine Hannaford moved to Albuquerque from Neos Marmaras, a small fishing village in Halkidiki, Greece, and is entering her fifth year at Bosque School, where she teaches seventh 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 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 her novel, Farewell Salonica: A Quartet and the short story, “Killed in the Line of Duty”, set in her native Vermont, as well as trekking to New England to see family and friends. She lives in the North Valley with her husband, Bill, 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 third year as director of choirs at Bosque School and enjoying every minute of it. When not singing or teaching, Ms. Hart can be found 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. Sky’s 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 eighth year teaching social studies at Bosque. Sky 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 U.S. history. Doug is beginning his ninth year at Bosque School. For the past five years he has overseen the dramatic transition of the upper school from about 100 students to the current enrollment of 266. In the past he has taught seventh and eighth grade social studies, twelfth grade Modern history, coached middle school track and basketball, and founded the high school track program This year he will serve 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): eight year old August, six year old Addison, and two year old twins, Quincy and Chamberlain.

Leslie LaZar is joining the Bosque faculty this year as a sixth grade Spanish teacher. She has worked and lived both in Latin America and New Mexico over the past thirteen years. Most recently, 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 training 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 University of New Mexico in Education with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. Leslie lives with her husband and two sons in Corrales.

Kim Leifeste is the Director of Technology at Bosque School. Kim has over 25 years of business, management, and technology experience. Prior to joining Bosque School, she owned 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 and her husband Gordon have two teenage children.

Kim Lester teaches seventh and eighth grade math. 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 eight years. In her free time, she can be found reading a book, hiking, traveling, or attempting to keep up with her busy family.

Qiao Liang is joining Bosque as an Upper School Math teacher. Qiao comes to Bosque from the University of New Mexico. Qiao immigrated to the United States from China at the age of 17 and obtained her master’s degree in applied mathematics this summer from UNM. While at the university, she tutored and taught various subject in mathematics to fellow UNM college students, and was awarded the American Dream Fellowship from the Merage Foundation and an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award from Department of mathematics and Statistics of UNM. Her favorite part of mathematics is population dynamics which focuses applications on Biology. During the summers she was able to participate in a research program with the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute in conjunction with Los Alamos national laboratories. She has also conducted research in Japan through a joint program launched by the national Science Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, social dancing swimming, traveling, cooking and watching movies.

Steve Maase joins the faculty part time this year as part of the Performing Arts department. He will be teaching a seventh grade beginning guitar class. Steve taught a middle school guitar activity block last year and will continue to do so this year. Steve has been a part of the Albuquerque music community for the past forty years as a performing musician, studio guitarist and teacher. In addition to teaching at Bosque School, he continues to teach private lessons and perform with local bands.

Sheri Mahoney teaches tenth grade biology. She is currently in her sixth year of teaching science at Bosque. In addition to teaching, she is the head coach for the upper school swim team and track and field team. She holds a B.S. degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from The University of Tennessee. Sheri is currently attending UNM in hopes of pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. In her free time, Sheri enjoys backpacking, 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-one 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, and the Eleganza String Quartet.

Jennifer Mason teaches seventh grade art and is beginning her fifth year at Bosque School. Prior to arriving in Albuquerque, Jennifer lived in the Washington, D.C. area, central Virginia, and south Florida, teaching in museum and school settings for seventeen years. She has been recognized for teaching excellence by Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, both in 1998 and 2005, and has been a coordinator for educational development in multicultural awareness and peace projects. Jennifer has traveled extensively and grew up in such places as Jerusalem, Paris, and London. She studied fine art at The London Institute of Art and received her B.S. degree in K-12 education from the State University of New York at New Paltz, with a major in art and minor in English. Recently, she received her M.A. in Educational Leadership from UNM. Jennifer has one son, Derek, who works as a computer programmer in Reston, VA. In her spare time, Jennifer loves creating art with wood and metal.

Colleen McClure teaches drama for all grades at Bosque. She has over 25 years of experience in professional theatre and education. She earned a B.A. with honors in drama and music from London University. As an actress and director, she has performed in and staged productions in England and the United States. As a teacher, she has been involved in both adult workshops and young people’s theatre. Colleen believes that the experience of theatre can broaden students’ educational horizons and social understanding. She is committed to offering classes that are interactive, imaginative, and fun! She has three children and she loves to play the piano in her rare free moments.

Jeremy Middleton teaches physical science and physics. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology from the College of William and Mary and the University of Kentucky, respectively. He is currently pursuing a MBA from UNM. He has taught a total of eight years at Wasatch Academy, North Cross School, and Bosque School. He enjoys biking to school, cooking delicious meals for his family and friends, exploring the Land of Enchantment with his wife and daughter, and tinkering with growing native plants in a high desert ecosystem.

TJ Middleton teaches seventh grade math, as well as upper school statistics/applied math and calculus. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1990 with a B.S. degree in mathematics education, and then taught primarily college-prep math courses at a public high school in Austin. Throughout the school year and during the summers, his experiences outside the classroom 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, 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, and he is currently pursuing an M.S. degree at UNM in pure mathematics and mathematics education. 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 25 years and has taught college students for the past 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-one years, Mary Anne, and with Hunny, his dog.

Juaquín A. Moya is the Director of College Guidance. Before joining the Bosque School community, Juaquín worked in the admission offices of Wesleyan University, Connecticut, and Occidental College, California. At Wesleyan, Juaquín served as a senior interviewer, interviewing prospective students and shadowing admission officers through the selective admission process. As an admission counselor at Occidental, he counseled prospective families, read and evaluated applications, traveled on behalf of the college, and more. Juaquín lived in Madrid, Spain, where he studied at the Instituto Internacional, interned at Hugo Boss Spain, and tutored Spanish students in English. Juaquín is a native of New Mexico and a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he received his B.A. and was a McNair Scholar and a Dana Grant Recipient.

Alaura Nellos teaches eighth grade art. She has taught for eleven years at the elementary, middle, high school and college levels, as well as directed an art program. She holds a bachelor's of University Studies with an emphasis in psychology and a master's of Art Education from the University of New Mexico, as well as a teacher's license for K-12 education. Her focus in graduate school included Japanese and southwestern ceramics, and she studied with potters in Mexico and southwestern pueblos. She has taught and mentored teachers at the University of New Mexico and while teaching at Albuquerque Academy. In addition to art-making, she enjoys hiking, bird watching, and riding bikes with her family.

Maria Nilsson-Whitaker teaches upper school Spanish. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Maria originally arrived in the U.S. on an international scholarship from an American teachers' organization to study Spanish and history. She graduated in 1987 with a B.A. from the University of New Mexico and received her M.A. in intercultural communication in 1991, also from UNM. She has studied in Valencia and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, as well as in Guadalajara, Mexico. Maria began her professional teaching career at La Jolla Country Day School, California, teaching upper school Spanish and World Cultures. The last 12 years, however, she has successfully run her own small business, developing and teaching highly customized Spanish classes to Albuquerque's business, legal, and health care professionals.

Lisa O’Grady, a native New Mexican, teaches middle school Spanish. After graduating from Valley High School, she studied in Spain for a year. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in English (with an emphasis on professional writing) and Spanish. She recently completed her M.A. in Spanish linguistics. She has also been involved in the training of volunteers in the Albuquerque chapter of Amigos de las Americas.

Heather O’Shea teaches upper school English and serves as the Assistant Head of the Upper School for Faculty. She is also the sponsor of the upper school student government. 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.

Rachel Pratt teaches upper school English and Senior Thesis. She earned her B.A. from the University of Iowa in Political Science and Asian Languages and Literature and studied Chinese language at Fudan University in Shanghai. While in the Peace Corps, she spent two years teaching ESL in the Solomon Islands. Upon her return, she settled in New Mexico with her husband, taught in Jemez Springs, had two sons, and wrote science and travel features for the Jemez Thunder. She earned her Masters Degree in English from UNM where she also taught freshman composition, rhetoric, creative nonfiction, and intermediate fiction. She won Missouri Review’s Nonfiction Prize for her essay, “Negotiating Bride Price.” Rachel enjoys writing (but not revising so much), chasing kids (mostly little boy herds), gardening (hopefully a vineyard, too), riding her bike, and daydreaming.

Rebecca Ray, Band Director, holds bachelors degrees in music education and applied music in oboe from Ithaca College, as well as a master of music in oboe performance from UNM. Rebecca has taught in the Las Cruces Public School system as well as for NMSU, and currently serves as a guest teacher, clinician, and adjudicator for several APS music programs, the NMMEA, Hummingbird Music Camp, and the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program. Rebecca is a core member of the Bosque Chamber Music Society, the principal oboist of the San Juan Symphony, and freelances with both the NMSO and the Santa Fe Symphony.

Maria Clara Rekow is a native of Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia, where she lived until age 26, when she came to the United States with her husband. She has been a Spanish and ESL teacher for over seventeen 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 toddler. Before moving to Albuquerque this summer, Maria Clara lived in Washington state and California. In the coming year, she hopes 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. A classics teacher for over 25 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 also works as a freelance writer. John enjoys fitness, running, and Ebay. He is currently at work restoring a 1945 army Jeep to factory-new condition.

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 a one year teaching fellowship at Albuquerque Academy. Currently she is working on her master’s in secondary education with an emphasis in mathematics at the University of New Mexico. Clara has taught math courses such as 8th grade math, algebra 1, geometry, algebra II, and pre-calculus. Currently she teaches algebra 2 and pre-calculus. As she enters her sixth year as a math teacher at Bosque, she looks forward to continue 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 and enjoying the beautiful outdoors and culture of New Mexico.
Dr. Leah Rudnick is joining Bosque School this year as Director of Student Development. Leah has been boarded in child and adolescent psychiatry since 1996 and has been practicing as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Albuquerque area since 1995. She has held various clinical and administrative positions and has experience in private practice as well. She completed her Bachelor’s and Medical Degree at the University of Nevada in Reno and came to New Mexico in 1990 to complete her general psychiatric residency. She completed her child and adolescent psychiatric training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Leah’s professional interests include healthy attachment development, relationship building and sustaining resilience. Personally, Leah’s love of music began at ten years old when she began playing the flute. Upon entering college, she passed up a music scholarship to study flute and instead pursued pre-medical and medical training. Leah’s musical interest has recently shifted to learning the violin with her seven and three year old daughters. She still secretly hopes to become a concert flutist or violinist some day. Leah is also an avid international folk dancer and enjoys running, ice skating and hiking with her family.

Marina Sage teaches middle and upper school drama at Bosque School. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Linfield College in Oregon and has spent the past eleven years teaching theatre. She has worked with the Missoula Children’s Theatre in Montana, as well as at the Albuquerque Academy summer session. In 1998 she started her own children’s theatre company, Bloomin’ Actors, Inc., offering before and after-school theatre programs at various schools around Albuquerque. When she’s not teaching, she can be found at home spending time with her husband Patrick and her two adorable sons Sebastian and Noah.

Suzanne Schadl is the Director of the Ford Library and a twelfth grade history/humanities instructor. She earned her B.A. in Spanish Literature and International Studies from Ohio State University and her Ph.D. (with distinction) in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico. She taught college-level history for five years before coming to Bosque School in 2004, and she has never looked back. Suzanne loves working with Bosque students and doing double duty as a teacher/librarian. She has two years of experience in the Ohio State Library and three years in the University of New Mexico library system. In between classes and library work, Suzanne lived and studied in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Guanajuato, Mexico. She speaks Portuguese and what she likes to call Portañol (Spanish heavily peppered with Portuguese pronunciation). Suzanne also enjoys running, learning lots of new things with her young daughters, and sponsoring Bosque’s Debate and Diplomacy team.

Kim Scheerer is the education coordinator for the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP). Kim 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, co-teaches Bosque School's advanced wildlife studies seminar, assists with UNM's BEMP 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. In the middle school, he teaches seventh grade science, and in the upper school, he teaches wildlife biology conservation and coaches cross-country. 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 numerous articles and publications on wildlife, outdoor, and environmental topics, including the Philmont Field Guide for the Boy Scout ranch in northern New Mexico. 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.

Fay Slattery is originally from the East Coast where she attended a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, and studied abroad in Madrid. Fay has taught at several independent schools around the country, most recently Punahou School in Hawaii. She received her Master’s Degree in International Studies from George Washington University. While living in Washington DC she took a break from teaching and worked in non-profit management, in Latin America with the Pan American Health Organization and then as Deputy Director of DC based social service agency called Food & Friends. Her husband’s job has enabled them to live in some beautiful places around the globe – the Aegean Sea in Turkey, in Colorado, Hawaii and now to Land of Enchantment in Albuquerque. Fay is a serious runner, has coached cross-country and track and field. She is a fan of ocean sports, (mostly kayaking) snorkeling and swimming. Fay joins Bosque as an Upper School Spanish teacher.

Craig Snow teaches middle school physical education and health, is the assistant director of upper school athletics, and serves as the varsity boys’ basketball coach. He received his B.S. from the University of Evansville and is currently pursuing his M.S. at the University of New Mexico. He played professional basketball in both Luxembourg and Austria. He is married to the former Jessica Bayne.

Anthony Strippoli teaches chemistry and physics 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 seventeen years 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, nature, and hiking in the great outdoors. Anthony and his wife Cintra love living in New Mexico.

Charlie Szumilas assumed the position of Assistant Head of School at Bosque in the summer of 2003 with oversight responsibilities for the daily operation of the school. He has served as teacher, coach, and administrator, including two stints as head of school, in five independent schools in Connecticut, New York, California, North Carolina, and Maryland since 1972. Charlie attended Yale College, where he earned a B.S. in administrative sciences and became smitten with English bulldogs. Later at the University of Vermont, he earned an M.Ed. in teacher education. Born in central Massachusetts, he is a diehard Red Sox fan. Charlie has been married to his wife Susan since graduation from college; together they enjoy travel, anything sporting or outdoors, music, and ethnic dining.

Meg Underwood teaches U.S. and world 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.

Chris Vigil, a native of California, teaches medieval world history and United States history. Chris received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from the University of New Mexico. Prior to returning to the university, Chris spent ten years training in Zen Buddhist temples and monasteries, supporting his studies by building homes, cabinetry, and furniture.

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 girls’ 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 sixth year at Bosque School.

Jay Westbrook, from Parkersburg, West Virginia, obtained his B.A. in English from West Virginia University in 2000, and is currently laboring to finish a master’s degree in comparative literature and cultural studies with a concentration in the classics. Having taught beginning and intermediate Latin at UNM, Jay will teach Latin I and Latin II this year. A self-professed language addict, Jay has studied (to varying degrees of proficiency) Latin, Ancient Greek, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Old and Middle English and Biblical Hebrew. In his spare time, Jay enjoys reading classic and modern science fiction, collects comics and enjoys baking. If asked politely, Jay has been known to make a killer tiramisu and will share if suitably bribed.

Eric Whitbeck moved to Albuquerque from Andover, New Hampshire, in 1994. This is his third year teaching seventh grade Social Studies. Since arriving in New Mexico, Eric earned a B.S. in education from the University of New Mexico, and has just completed an M.A. in United States history. He previously taught at the Montessori School of Albuquerque for seven years. He is married to a wonderful woman and has visited all of the major rock climbing areas in the western United States. Besides rock climbing, Eric enjoys traveling, writing, playing his guitar and reading. He lives in Nob Hill and loves walking around his neighborhood.

Andrew Wooden is the Head of School at Bosque. He received his B.A. in English in his home state at the University of Maine and an M.A. in religion from Yale Divinity School. He began his career in education in 1977 at Brewster Academy teaching English, house advising in the dormitory, and coaching basketball and sailing. He joined Choate Rosemary Hall in 1984 and directed the admissions and financial aid department and worked on capital projects. Under Andrew’s leadership, the school has completed the first phase of the capital campaign to build a permanent campus, and the second phase to grow an endowment, increase financial aid, establish the Gerald and Betty Ford Library, and build the Peggie Ann Findlay Arts Center, the permanent gymnasium and the science building. After completing a research fellowship at Yale University in August 2003, he returned to campus to oversee construction of Budagher Hall, the Klaus Weber soccer complex and six new tennis courts. Together with the Board of Trustees, he is in the process of completing the campus master plan and the strategic planning for the year 2013.

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 ninth year at Bosque School and lives in the North Valley of Albuquerque along with his wife and two teenage sons.