NEW ENGLAND INNOVATION ACADEMY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Student Life Coordinator Esports Coach
As a long-time resident of California, Alex has pursued growing and developing the esports scene for 6+ years. Working in content creation and event organization, he's seen what esports has to offer to a young developing school. Through those experiences, he wants to create an everlasting esports ecosystem for NEIA. From California to now Massachusetts, he is excited to bring his passion for competitive gaming to the east coast and help with various student life tasks. Gaming is not his only passion, though. He likes to work out frequently in his off time and plays chess whenever possible.
Job Titles:
- School Advisor to the Board
Amir Reza is Dean of Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning & Dean of Global Education at Babson College. He is President-Elect of Association of International Education Administrators and serves on the Board of Directors at IFSA and as a member of the University of Maine Board of Visitors. He has presented at numerous national and international conferences on international education. His research focus is on internationalization, entrepreneurship education, and intercultural development. He is excited to serve as a Senior Advisor to the Board at NEIA.
Anna has been teaching in formal and informal settings since 2014. She found her love of teaching while pursuing a career as an academic scientist and has never looked back. Her variety of experiences has allowed her to teach everyone from kindergarteners to college students from formal classrooms to the radio telescope array in Socorro, NM. She loves to flip traditional classroom teaching on its head. "My ideal classroom is student-led, where inquiry, invention, and mistakes guide learning." One of Anna's biggest passions is incorporating DE&I work into her teaching. She works to bring global perspectives and highlight the diverse scientists, inventors, and pioneers from the past that often do not get recognition for their work.
Baldev, a recipient of the Mayor Innovation Award and the Best Alumni Award from G H Raisoni College of Engineering, Baldev Singh Rawat is a dedicated educator with an engineering and MBA background. Before Joining NEIA full time as the Entrepreneurship Teacher, Baldev led NEIA's young innovators in launching a school store (neiastore.com) using Shopify and Notion. Baldev has a rich background in engineering while bringing over 10 years of experience in entrepreneurship, strategy, and education. Baldev Founded an award-winning for-profit social enterprise, committed to entrepreneurship & employability education. He also developed a business in India and South Africa as well as taught a diverse audience, including 1,500 Indian Army officers, over 20,000 students, 600+ faculty members, and 1,000+ professionals.
Caitlin has always had a passion for education, always understanding that it is the foundation for one's life journey. Similarly, she has always valued creativity, especially within school. Caitlin previously worked at Boston University Academy where her love for private schools blossomed. Her time in the nonprofit sector also contributed to her interest in helping others, especially children. Caitlin believes that there is more to learning than what meets the eye, and when given creative freedom, children can succeed on a whole new level. As the Digital Content Manager, Caitlin plans to bring NEIA to life through photos as well as highlight the vast amount of unique opportunities for those interested in learning in a more innovative environment. Outside of NEIA, Caitlin enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends.
Caolan has been teaching for seventeen years, in settings ranging from second grade to college. In courses in English literature, multimedia composition, creative writing, and gender studies, Caolan emphasizes collaboration within and beyond the classroom, and finds opportunities for students to bring their individual passions and expertise to their study of the humanities-whether that's creating a podcast about their work in a hospital, translating a poem from their home language into English, or writing an essay comparing the songs of Taylor Swift to the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. When she's not teaching, Caolan loves drawing, decorating sugar cookies, and playing video games with her husband and two daughters.
Education
BA English, Yale University
MFA Creative Writing, Johns Hopkins University
PhD English, Rutgers University
WHAT SHE'D WHISPER IN THE EAR OF HER 15-YEAR-OLD SELF
Carrie is passionate about creating hands-on learning experiences that bring the curriculum to life for students, particularly in the realm of estuarine ecology. With over 20 years of experience as an educator and administrator in independent schools, Carrie has taught both middle and upper school science, sharing her love of marine and estuarine ecology with her students.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Carrie enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, and cheering for NCAA Women's Basketball, especially the UConn Huskies, as well as the US Women's National Soccer Team.
Education
Coastal Carolina University BS Marine Science and Biology
Harvard School of Education/Harvard School of Business, Certificate of School Leadership and Management
WHAT SHE'D WHISPER IN THE EAR OF HER 15-YEAR-OLD SELF
Job Titles:
- Director of Curriculum & Professional Learning Math Teacher
Cassandra is a dedicated educator and mathematics education leader committed to inspiring a passion for problem-solving in her students. With experience teaching English in China and Hong Kong, she values cultural immersion. Cassandra now directs NEIA's curricular efforts, making teaching and learning more clear, visible, and vigorous. She finds joy in the diverse backgrounds of NEIA students, fostering meaningful connections in and out of the classroom. Beyond work, Cassandra cherishes family time and explores her love for travel.
For Charlie, theater is home. He earned a BS in Theater from Skidmore College and his Masters in Educational Theatre from NYU. He has been a carpenter at Glimmerglass Opera and Yale Repertory Theatre, Technical Director for The International Festival of Arts and Ideas and Elm Shakespeare. Charlie was a member of A Broken Umbrella Theater, creating site specific work based on local history in New Haven, CT. Charlie taught acting and technical theater at Hamden Hall Country Day for 18 years. He also served as 9th Grade Dean and co-advisor to the Peer Leadership program. He is passionate about helping students make sense of a complicated world through and has found theater to be his best resource in accomplishing that.
Education
BS Theater, Skidmore College
MA Educational Theatre, NYU
WHAT HE'D WHISPER IN THE EAR OF HIS 15-YEAR-OLD SELF
Chuck has worked as a Materials Applications Engineer for two of the country's largest aircraft engines companies, helping to both resolve manufacturing and quality problems, as well as working on a team to develop and transition new classes of materials into production applications (e.g. ceramic matrix composites to replace metal alloys). Transitioning to teaching, Chuck has taught middle and high school math and science for twenty years, as well as directed youth choirs and musical theater. He hopes to bring this combination of engineering, teaching, and music - integrated and experiential - to NEIA.
Cynthia has been working as an educator for over two decades in both formal and informal learning environments. She has worked with both youth and adult learners as a public school classroom teacher, a 4-H positive youth development educator, an undergraduate and graduate college course designer and instructor, and as an academic counselor and director of academic coaching and tutoring. As a curious learner herself, Cynthia has conducted educational research and enjoys expanding her understanding of the neurology of learning and the role of executive functioning for academic and life success. She is passionate about collaborating with others on the creation of learner-friendly educational spaces that engage Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles that allow for fun, inquiry-based, self-directed learning. She believes when we meet each other as unique individuals with strengths to share that inclusive, equity-minded communities flourish.
Dana is a Facilities Manager with nine years of experience in building maintenance. Before NEIA, Dana spent seven years of those years working at an international school. He is also a licensed electrician with 15 years of experience in commercial construction throughout New England. Dana also serves on a small private school board to engage in school operations and share his knowledge.
Job Titles:
- Business Office Coordinator
Daniel brings over a decade of diverse industry experience as an Accountant, coupled with a fervent passion for entrepreneurship. Formerly serving as the Director of Dard Businesses Limited and the visionary founder of Golden Sun Montessori, he seamlessly blends financial acumen with innovative business strategies. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds joy in leisurely soccer matches, embracing both the thrill of competition and the camaraderie of the game.
WHAT HE'D WHISPER IN THE EAR OF HIS 15-YEAR-OLD SELF
Devin's had a transformative post-grad experience at Worcester Academy, which inspired his interest in secondary education. He's passionate about positively impacting the lives of others, living life with purpose, and being a role model to his daughter. Devin joins NEIA from St. Mark's School, where he spent two years as the associate director of admission and financial aid in addition to coaching football. Earlier in his career, Devin worked at Cheshire Academy for five years, where he began as a student activities coordinator before quickly transitioning to admissions. He began his career as an intern at his in the admissions department at his alma mater, Hobart College. Devin is excited to join the NEIA community along with his daughter Jordin Marie, who will enter the 8th grade.
Emma comes to NEIA with a keen interest in school improvement. She has experience teaching middle and elementary English Language Arts and Gifted Education in public, charter, independent, and international schools. Most recently, Emma was the Director of Innovation at an elementary school in Media, PA where she helped integrate the innovation lab and the innovator's mindset into the school's mission, pedagogy, and curriculum. Her interests are organizational change management, innovation in school, innovative school models, transformational leadership, and human-centered design. She is consistently impressed with the courage and dedication of the NEIA students, faculty and staff, and families as they design the new school of their dreams. She is honored to be a part of this community.
Job Titles:
- School Advisor to the Board
Erin has been an artist her whole life and started her artistic career as an animator. She lived in Los Angeles for 10 years working for a variety of animation studios, until she decided to return home and pursue her love of teaching full time. She's taught various types of art and design for the past 21 years. Erin got her start at a small Montessori school and continued to teach art in a variety of school settings from private, to public institutions, throughout Massachusetts.
Erin is passionate about helping all students find creative outlets, make connections, and define their interests. She wants her students to share unique creative and educational experiences and enjoy the process of learning.
Erin has been on the Art and Writing Scholastic Board in NYC, and received the prestigious Kennedy Center/ Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award after being nominated by a former student who recognized the transformative impact Erin had on her life. In addition, Erin married her high school sweetheart and has three children. She is passionate about painting, music, and learning new art techniques to share with her students.
Job Titles:
- Industrial Designer in Residence
Francisco worked at the first Mexican company to develop additive manufacturing technology. He founded his own company, which developed experimental and ready-to-market products. Francicso's passion for design and innovation led him to teach design, creativity, and technology-related classes at several Mexican universities. He also acts as a prototyping-specialized mentor at several Mexican business incubators.
Prior to joining NEIA, Francisco was a digital education consultant at Leon's Youth Institute, leading the development of a Makerspace and designing the curriculum for a series of workshops about digital skills. He has given conferences and workshops about technology and design at many major Mexican universities. Francisco is excited to be part of the NEIA team to provide future generations with skills that enable them to find their passions, create value, and live fulfilling lives.
Gary Dunn has over 17 years of private school experience in the FairChester area of Connecticut and New York. Having served as a classroom teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Head of Upper School and Athletic Director, Gary understands the private school world, but more importantly, he understands kids. During his time as Assistant Head and Athletic Director of a growing school, Gary led the development of the school's athletic program and increased student participation in athletics by 30 percent. Gary was named to the Connecticut High School All-America team and played baseball at the University of Connecticut. He enjoys a round of golf when not running after his two young children.
Glenn enjoys working behind the scenes at NEIA and keeping everything running (mostly) smoothly. Facilities Maintenance Mechanic is Glenn's second act after nearly 40 years in the commercial printing industry. During his off time, you will find him on his pontoon boat in the summer or out walking his dogs anytime.
As a maker, outdoor enthusiast, and educator, Greg enjoys the challenges and rewards that come with wearing a myriad of hats. Greg entered the field of education over twenty-five years ago and brings to NEIA a wide range of experiences from guiding wilderness expeditions to facilitating innovation spaces. A lifelong learner himself, Greg strives to support students on their journey of self-discovery as they explore how compassion and character are interwoven.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Trustee
- Vice - Chair
A passionate educator and leader, Jane is the founder and President of the Board of Trustees of Wahaha Bilingual School and Wahaha International School Hangzhou in China. She holds the position of the Chairman of the Board of 3Js Investment Group and has served as the Managing Director of China's largest food and beverage enterprise, Wahaha Group Hangzhou, for nearly 20 years. Jane is a former trustee of Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts and an honorary trustee of West Lake University, Hangzhou.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Trustee
Jean served as Administrative Principal of The International Montessori School of Beijing from 1995 to 2012. She has been a trustee of Wahaha Bilingual School and Wahaha International School since their founding.
Jennie has over twenty-five years of expertise in hospitality management and non-profit industries. A savvy strategist, she works across stakeholder groups to translate ideas into results. Jennie has a track record of building and leading high-performing teams, as demonstrated by her role on the executive grand-opening team of the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, a premier 5-star cultural icon. Her career then expanded to include a focus on art and cultural projects, specifically with Three on the Bund and then as the Executive Director of Parinama Cultural Development Foundation in Shanghai. She quickly discovered her passion for preserving cultural heritage through education, advocacy, and community development.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Math Teacher Onboarding Coordinator & Mentor Scheduler
Jennifer has been teaching in independent schools for over twenty years. She began her career at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia where she taught math for ten years while simultaneously completing her doctorate at nearby Bryn Mawr College. After graduating, she returned to her home state of Massachusetts where she has taught at both The Rivers School and Bancroft School. Outside of teaching math, Jennifer's biggest passion is diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She has founded both faculty and student groups devoted to DEI work at previous schools, and she looks forward to continuing this work at NEIA.
Jill has worked in various educational settings as a school mental health counselor. Her passion lies in advocating for her students and creating and implementing social and emotional curricula to reach all developmental levels. Currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, she is also a certified yoga teacher and enjoys incorporating mindfulness into her work and studies. Jill enjoys working with students of all ages, promoting mental health and well-being. In her free time, she loves practicing yoga, gardening, and exploring with her husband and their pups.
Education
B.S Psychology, Eastern Connecticut State University
M.Ed Counseling, University of Massachusetts Boston
CAGS Counseling, University of Massachusetts Boston
WHAT SHE'D WHISPER IN THE EAR OF HER 15-YEAR-OLD SELF
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Trustee
Joel serves as the Deputy Dean for Alumni, Development, and Special Initiatives at the Yale School of Management, where he oversees the school's fundraising and alumni initiatives. He also oversees special initiatives such as Yale's Center in Beijing, China. Most of Joel's career has been spent in philanthropy including serving as President of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and Associate Director of Development at Stanford University. He also served earlier in his career as President and Co-Founder of Rim Pacific, a manufacturing and distribution firm focusing on art reproductions.
Job Titles:
- Director of Branding Designer in Residence
In 1997, John founded Flannel, a brand and design consulting company. Harvard University would become his first client. Many recognizable companies such as Blizzard, Nordica, Rollerblade, and King Arthur's Flour turned to him for his help in rebranding their businesses. He has worked with Tuck School of Business for 13 years, crafting their branding, design, and website. For a year and a half, he pursued his love for hockey by goaltending for minor league teams across the country (his longest tenure was with the Elmira Jackals). In more ways than one, John Turner represents the spirit of NEIA: kindness, enthusiasm, entrepreneurship, and a fearless pursuit of his passions.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Library & Learning Commons
Kaitlin began her work in libraries as a teen volunteer for Virginia Beach Public Libraries, then served in various roles from circulation to reference to programming. Since then, she has worked in public libraries as a Youth Librarian in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. She has also taught English Language Arts in high schools in Philadelphia and Massachusetts. She comes to NEIA with a passion for library services and all things books, ready to share with this exciting community.
Karen is an administrative assistant with over 20 years of experience including working in the pharmaceutical industry.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Nurse
- Nurse Manager
Kathleen (Kat) is a nurse manager who enthusiastically helps students, staff, and families with her positive attitude and attention to detail. Kat believes in staying informed with the latest medical guidance and is committed to organizing her office with the latest protocols and processes. At NEIA, she manages the healthcare information systems, responds to medical needs at school, works as part of the wellbeing team, and collaborates across the school community to ensure a healthy environment.
Li has been teaching Chinese language and culture in public schools, private schools and local Chinese schools for 15 years. She loves her students and is very proud of them! She believes everyone can learn a language, and everyone is able to learn well!
Job Titles:
- Head of Collaborations & Strategic Partnerships
Lily has been in the education field for most of her life. Her parents were both teachers in Taiwan, and she embraced a passion for learning and teaching from a young age. Lily has taught English to K-12 students in Japan and Taiwan. Lily is a global thinker and enjoys looking at all things with an entrepreneurial and curious lens. She was instrumental in building a robust portfolio of executive education programs for Harvard Business School in China and helped expand global footprints from Dubai to Singapore for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Director of Residential Life
Mackenzie began his career in education teaching Kindergarten through 8th grade Music, Band, and Choir in the West Michigan area. In the fall of 2019, Mackenzie transitioned into working Residence Life at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan. Most recently, he held the position of Director of Residence Life where he oversaw 4 Residence Halls, the Day Student population, and the Peer Assistant Program.
In addition to his passion for working with youth in a Residence Life setting, Mackenzie is also passionate about music, musical theater, track and field, and reading.
Education
B.A. in Music Education, Instrumental and General from Bethel College
WHAT HE'D WHISPER IN THE EAR OF HIS 15-YEAR-OLD SELF
Job Titles:
- Director of College Counseling
Marie has guided and advised young adults through the college application process for over 20 years. She has worked in public and private schools in the U.S. and also spent 10 years working in Beirut, Lebanon as the Head of College Advising and Career Development. Marie loves to learn about different careers and knows that she needs to stay in front of the changes that will impact our students, their college admission, and career opportunities. Marie is passionate about college access for all and has supported refugee students as a volunteer for many years.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programming
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Materials and Methods Instructor
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Housekeeping & Transportation Manager
Job Titles:
- Innovation Studio Teacher
Job Titles:
- Director of Safety & Security
Job Titles:
- Director of Middle School and Upper School Theater Teacher