About Us
Our Team
Behind Every Great Student
At Geffen Academy, our educators are reflective practitioners with deep experience who are committed to supporting students’ ideas, passions, and academic interests.
List of 104 items.
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Michael Albertson
Ed.D. - Music Department ChairRead Bio
Michael Albertson is beginning his 18th year of teaching music. -
Joseph Almeida
M.S. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Joseph Almeida comes to Geffen Academy after 13 years as a middle school mathematics educator. -
Lupita Alvarado
Human Resources CoordinatorRead Bio
Lupita has worked as a human resources professional for more than 15 years. -
Alex Anderson
M.F.A. - Ceramics EducatorRead Bio
Alex is our ceramics Educator for grades 7-9. -
Lindsay Anderson
Project SpecialistRead Bio
Lindsay Anderson works in the Business Office at Geffen Academy, collaborating with partners at UCLA and with Geffen Academy Educators. -
Kneil Aparte
IT Operations ManagerRead Bio
In this pioneering Business Office role, he will administer student learning management systems and partner with ITS in developing procedures and protocols for the school. -
Elizabeth Ashforth
Ph.D. - Director of Student Research ProgramsRead Bio
Elizabeth was a science instructor at Marlborough School for nine years. -
David Banks
Ph.D., M.S., Ed.M. - Science EducatorRead BioDr. Banks, an Educator in the Science Department, teaches 10th grade Biology and Advanced Molecular Biology to juniors and seniors. -
Anastasia Baran
Faculty Services CoordinatorRead Bio
Ms. Baran works closely with the Middle and Upper School division directors to provide strategic support for the school’s operations and administrative functions. -
Chris Barker
Budget & Accounting AnalystRead Bio
Chris is a member of our Business Office team and manages the budget and accounting process. -
Shelby Bartlett
M.A. - Assistant Dean, Middle SchoolRead Bio
Shelby is passionate about student leadership, social-emotional growth and community engagement. -
Susan Beeson
J.D. - Chief Advancement OfficerRead Bio
Before joining Geffen Academy, Susan spent more than a decade at Harvard-Westlake School, where she was the director of alumni relations for six years. -
Elizabeth Bergman
Ph.D. - History EducatorRead Bio
Elizabeth teaches 10th grade U.S. History and 11th grade Modern Global History and also plays a collaborative role in shaping the department's curriculum. -
Fay Bevans
Campus Operations ManagerRead Bio
Fay has been at UCLA for more than 30 years, serving as an office manager, executive assistant, administrative analyst and, most recently, a senior personnel analyst. -
Nathaly Blanco
M.A. - Academic Advising and College Guidance SpecialistRead Bio
Ms. Nathaly Blanco is part of the Office of Academic Advising & College Guidance. -
Peter Breslin
Ph.D. - Science EducatorRead Bio
Dr. Peter Breslin is a teacher and conservation biologist who finished his Ph.D. at Arizona State University in the Environmental Life Sciences Program this past May. -
Rosalie Carlson
M.A. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Originally from Chicago, Rosalie studied mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and received her master’s in math from UC Santa Barbara. -
Sibyll Carnochan Catalan
Ph.D. - Head of SchoolRead Bio
Prior to joining UCLA, Sibyll created and led a fellowship for outstanding public school teachers and principals from across the country. -
Melissa Castro
Admissions CoordinatorRead Bio
Melissa Castro is the newest member of our Admissions team, but she is no stranger to the admissions field. -
Jack Caughey
Ph.D. - English Department Chair & EducatorRead Bio
In addition to being chair of the English department and despite knowing nothing about magic, Jack is the advisor of the Upper School Magic Club. -
Manoj Choudhary
Read BioM.S. - History and Humanities EducatorManoj Choudhary teaches in the History and Humanities departments and also serves as an advisor. -
David Collicutt
M.A. - Athletic Director & Head Boys Soccer CoachRead Bio
David served as athletic director at Marlborough School in Los Angeles for 17 years. -
Sean Conlin
Theater Arts EducatorRead Bio
Sean Conlin is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he studied English and philosophy. -
Lisa Crawford
Ph.D. & M.A. - Music EducatorRead Bio
Lisa Crawford has taught music in a variety of public and private K-12 and university environments. -
Tracy Daniels
Executive Assistant to the Head of SchoolRead Bio
Ms. Daniels is part of the founding, pioneering team that made Geffen Academy a reality in 2016. -
Johanna Day
Ed.D. - Humanities & English EducatorRead Bio
Dr. Day earned her doctorate in education from California State University, Los Angeles. -
Amber de Seriere-Pataki
M.A. - Physical Education Chair & EducatorRead Bio
Amber previously headed the women’s soccer program at West Los Angeles College and the girls soccer program at Marlborough School. -
Leslie Dove
P.E. Educator & Assistant Swimming CoachRead Bio
Leslie brings an extensive background in competitive swimming. -
Lauren Ershoff
M.A. - Associate Director of DevelopmentRead Bio
Lauren is our associate director of development and orchestrated our first #GivingTuesday giving event! -
La Keisha Fair
M.A. & ATC - Athletic TrainerRead Bio
As our athletic trainer, La Keisha is responsible for recognizing and treating injuries, identifying general medical conditions, and making the appropriate referrals. -
Ashleigh Fata
Latin & Humanities EducatorRead Bio
Ashleigh is a doctoral candidate in the Classics department at UCLA. -
Sophia Ferrone
Human Resources GeneralistRead Bio
Sophia works closely with all Educators, and in particular, with our seasonal employees such as coaches, theater staff and student hires. -
Benjamin Finck
Ph.D. - Science EducatorRead BioDr. Finck’s background reflects a true blend of chemistry, physics and computer science. -
Liz Franco
M.S. - Assistant Athletic DirectorRead Bio
Liz also serves as the assistant JV girls and varsity boys tennis coach as well as the assistant varsity soccer coach. -
Kimberly Gallant
Read BioScience Educator
Kimberly joins us from Brentwood Middle School here in Los Angeles, where she taught 8th grade math and science. -
Chad Garcia
Head ChefRead Bio
Chad developed his passion for food through his childhood travels and adventures. -
Leigh-Michil George
M.F.A. & Ph.D. - English/Humanities EducatorRead Bio
A teacher since 2010, Leigh-Michil aims for all her students to leave her classes more confident, equipped with reading and writing knowledge that they can translate into self-knowledge. -
Jeff Goodman
Communications ManagerRead Bio
Jeff oversees communications at Geffen Academy, a role that combines his writing and editing experience with his passion for education. -
John Guzmán Aguilar
Spanish EducatorRead Bio
John Guzmán Aguilar teaches Middle School Spanish 3 and Upper School Spanish 1 and 3 in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. -
Abdiel Garcia
Ed.M. - Associate Director of Academic Advising & College GuidanceRead Bio
Mr. Garcia assists Geffen Academy students through the Office of Academic Advising & College Guidance. -
Kathryn Hayes
M.Ed. - Spanish Educator & Professional Development LeadRead Bio
Profesora Hayes spent six years working both as a classroom teacher and later as a lead teacher mentoring new educators on best practices for the language classroom. -
Carol Hoffstedt
M.S. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
As an educational explorer, Carol Hoffstedt seeks to empower her students to be math-proficient and realize that math is even more beautiful than it is useful. -
Yujia Hua
M.A. - Mandarin EducatorRead Bio
Ms. Hua has worked in K-12 schools in New York and Iowa. -
Nicholas Hurtt
M.S. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Nick Hurtt fostered his passion for mathematics at the University of California, Irvine—where he graduated summa cum laude in 2012, earning his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Honors). -
Mike Hyatt
Ph.D. & M.A. - History Department Chair & EducatorRead Bio
From 1993-2017, Mike taught history to upper school students at the prestigious Dalton School in New York City, with subject matter that included Global History, U.S. Constitutional History, African American History and The Sixties. -
Stacey Jasper
M.Ed. & M.A. - Humanities & History EducatorRead Bio
Ms. Jasper teaches 6th grade humanities and 7th grade history. -
Beatriz Jimenez
Security Guard - Day
Beatriz is one of our security guards, ensuring that our students and building are safe. -
Morell Jones
M.Ed - History EducatorRead Bio
Morell Jones is a UCLA alumnus, where he received an undergraduate degree in History. He received his Master’s in Education from Cal State San Marcos. -
Ross Karlan
Ph.D. - Spanish EducatorRead Bio
Ross Karlan completed his doctoral work in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Georgetown University and his B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. -
Vitali Kaush
I-Track EducatorRead Bio
Vitali Kaush is passionate about teaching technology through robotics, fabrication, and design through I-Track concentration courses. -
Radhika Khandelwal
Ed.D. - Dean for Students & School CultureRead Bio
Radhika (Dean Rad) previously worked at Brentwood School, where she was the 7th Grade Dean and taught middle school Human Development. -
Alan Kim
M.A. - Science Department Chair & EducatorRead Bio
Alan Kim has taught courses in chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, biotechnology, and genetics for 9th through 12th grade. -
Adam Koneman
M.Ed. - Principal Learning SpecialistRead Bio
Adam supports students in their navigation of school curricula while fostering independence and self-advocacy skills. -
Jason Lee
Business Operations SpecialistRead Bio
Jason has experience in events, audio/video, facilities management, client relations, procurement, and more. -
Ingrid Leventhal
Ph.D. - French & Humanities EducatorRead Bio
Most recently, she was an educator at Vivian Webb School in Claremont, CA where she taught both French and Humanities. -
Luis Macías
M.A. - Spanish EducatorRead Bio
Luis is originally from El Paso, Texas, and completed his master’s degree in Spanish literature at the University of Oklahoma. -
Katya Malikov
M.S. - Mathematics Department ChairRead Bio
Katya is passionate about helping students acquire the skills to improve their logical reasoning and problem-solving techniques while deepening their appreciation for the beauty of mathematics. -
Donna Mandosa
M.Ed. - I-Track EducatorRead Bio
Donna is excited to support our students as they learn through play, discover passion in ideas, and take action with purpose. -
Dan Heinrich Cariño Manuyag
M.Ed. - Associate Director of Academic Advising & College GuidanceRead Bio
Dan Heinrich started his professional career as a Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at his alma mater, Wesleyan University. -
Miriam Margolis
Read BioAssociate Director of Admissions
A founding member of the admissions team, Miriam has been with Geffen Academy at UCLA since its pioneering class and is an 8th grade advisor. -
Maskit Maymon
Ph.D. - Science EducatorRead Bio
Maskit brings experience from UCLA’s Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. -
Megan McEwen
Ph.D. - Science EducatorRead Bio
Megan joins us from the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, California. -
Jessica McKay
M.A. - Director of Outreach and InclusionRead Bio
As the school's founding director of outreach and inclusion, Jessica works to develop partnerships with feeder schools and organizations in various Los Angeles and UCLA communities. -
Magee Mudge
Registrar, Calendar & Events AnalystRead Bio
Magee was a founding staff member of Vistamar School in El Segundo, where she served in many capacities and led the events and communications efforts as well as managed the construction projects. -
Carlos Musick
Security Guard - Daytime
Carlos is one of our security guards, ensuring that our students and building are safe. -
Raquel Ochoa
M.A. - Admissions SpecialistRead Bio
The newest member of the Admissions team, Raquel is passionate about all things education. -
Kasiemba Okeyo
Read BioI-Track Educator
Kasiemba is an independent filmmaker, musician, composer, and programmer. -
Kate Oldre
M.A. & M.Ed. - Director, Middle School DivisionRead Bio
In her role at Geffen Academy, Kate is dedicated to building and supporting an educational infrastructure that honors the importance of the middle school experience for both students and families. -
Mari Oropeza
Ph.D. - Director of Academic Advising & College GuidanceRead Bio
Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Mari attended public primary and secondary schools in El Paso’s Lower Valley. -
Kate Page-Lippsmeyer
Ph.D. - English EducatorRead Bio
Dr. Kate Page-Lippsmeyer joined Geffen Academy in 2020-2021 as an English Educator in the Upper School. -
Karla Perez-Mendoza
Ph.D. - World Languages Department Chair & Spanish EducatorRead Bio
Karla is part of the founding, pioneering team that made Geffen Academy a reality in 2014. -
Rebeca Puga
M.F.A. & J.D. - Drawing & Painting Educator, Visual Arts Department ChairRead Bio
Born and raised in Santiago Chile, Rebeca obtained a B.A., as well as a law degree, from Universidad de Chile at the School of Social Economical and Juridical Sciences and became an attorney. -
Anna Putsima
M.S. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Anna Putsima is passionate about fostering a love for mathematics in the minds of her students. -
Christian Reed
Ph.D. - English EducatorRead Bio
Christian has a decade of teaching experience. -
Didier Reiss
J.D. & M.A. - History EducatorRead Bio
Didier has taught courses in religious, literary and legal texts at the Los Angeles Hebrew High School in Van Nuys. -
Flavio Ribeiro
Head Swim Coach & Water Safety EducatorRead Bio
Flavio joins our team after teaching and coaching at Marlborough School for over 20 years. -
J.R. Rich
I-Track EducatorRead Bio
J.R. joins us from New York. -
Ben Riendeau
Read BioHuman Resources Manager
Ben Riendeau brings more than 15 years of experience to his role as Human Resources Manager at Geffen Academy. -
Chelsea Rivera
OTD - Wellness EducatorRead Bio
Dr. Chelsea Rivera has worked in both wellness and education for over a decade. -
Ke'Yuanda Robertson
M.A. - English EducatorRead Bio
After earning her B.A. in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California, Ke’Yuanda Robertson worked at ABC News’Primetime and 20/20. -
Nancy Rodriguez
MSPA - Chief Administrative OfficerRead Bio
Nancy was Regional Director of Business Operations at the American Red Cross, focusing on Finance, HR, Risk Management, Training and Professional Development for the region’s staff. -
Ollie Savage
M.A. - English EducatorRead Bio
Ollie Savage has taught English in Los Angeles for the past 12 years, including positions at Milken and Oakwood Schools. -
Moe Scott
Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
A UCLA Bruin, Moe studied mathematics as a Regent's Scholar at UCLA from 2012 to 2016. -
Matt Sheridan
M.F.A. - Visual Arts EducatorRead Bio
A contemporary visual artist who works with paint and video, Matt is our Visual Arts educator, overseeing animation, video, photography, and production for our students. -
Larisa Showalter
M.A. - Dean of FacultyRead Bio
Larisa oversees faculty at Geffen Academy and regularly convenes department chairs in order to strengthen interdisciplinary connections and cohesion of the schoolwide learning goals and curricula. -
Nathan Simoneaux
M.Ed. - History EducatorRead Bio
Nathan comes to the history department from the Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. -
Aghavni Simonyan
Ph.D. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Aghavni joins us from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). -
Courtney Slade
MBA - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Courtney is dedicated to helping our students develop a robust understanding of mathematics as they become confident and creative problem solvers. -
Rhazes Spell
Ph.D. & M.F.A. - I-Track Department Chair & EducatorRead Bio
Rhazes uses media art and technology as a platform for engaged learning within the humanities and sciences. -
David Sprunger
Ph.D. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Dr. David Sprunger has been lucky to practice mathematics all over: at Princeton and Indiana universities, in Tokyo, and now at Geffen Academy. -
Ashle Stewart
Student Services CoordinatorRead Bio
Ms. Ashle is a primary point person for students and families regarding student life at Geffen Academy. -
Joanna Stover
M.S. & ATC - Wellness and P.E. EducatorRead Bio
Ms. Jo support students’ physical and mental health and well-being as a Wellness and P.E. Educator and as an eighth-grade advisor. -
Cicely Suazo
M.A. - Learning Skills SpecialistRead Bio
Cicely comes to Geffen Academy with over nine years of experience in the field of education. -
Ross Szabo
Wellness DirectorRead Bio
Ross is our founding Wellness Director who has developed and incorporated our unique Wellness program into our school curriculum. -
Jeremy Tan
Read BioM.S. - Physical Education (P.E.) Educator
Jeremy joins our P.E. department as both teacher and strength and conditioning coach. -
Zeke Trautenberg
Ph.D. - Spanish EducatorRead Bio
Zeke Trautenberg teaches Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. -
Melissa Tong
Ph.D. & M.A. - Mathematics EducatorRead Bio
Melissa Tong received a Ph.D in Applied Mathematics from UC Irvine. -
Liana Unger
LCSW - Wellness EducatorRead Bio
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and mental health practitioner, Liana brings an extensive background in empirically validated methodologies. -
Matt Vacca
M.A. - Director, Upper School DivisionRead Bio
In his role at Geffen Academy, Matt facilitates and provides leadership to design, cultivate, implement, and execute the instructional operations for the Upper School. -
Millie Vasquez
Read BioScience Educator
Millie comes to the science department from Aspire Pacific Academy in Huntington Park, California. -
Vanessa Verdoodt
M.A. - Dance EducatorRead Bio
As Geffen Academy's founding dance teacher, Vanessa Verdoodt uses world dance and culture as a platform to engage mindful learning about diversity and multiculturalism in our global world. -
Maximiliano Villicaña
M.A.T. - English EducatorRead BioMr. Villicaña currently teaches the 7th grade Reading Ancient Minds course. -
David Watts
M.Ed. - Associate Dean, Upper SchoolRead Bio
A native of Northern California, David brings a depth and breadth of experience as an administrator, teacher, advisor, coach, student advocate, and mentor. -
Jenny Zhang
Mandarin EducatorRead Bio
Jenny is an expert educator, having experience with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency bands, the College Board, the Confucius Institute, and schools all across the country.
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