HIGH SCHOOL

Faculty

The majority of Ross faculty hold advanced degrees in their specialty areas. They hail from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, thereby adding to the rich tapestry of a Ross education.

Teachers develop close relationships with students, providing a caring and supportive environment where academic excellence, social skills, self-esteem, and respect for others are fostered through cooperative learning and personal development. Small class sizes ensure that each student benefits from mentor relationships with their teachers.

High School Faculty

For a complete list of Ross faculty, staff, and leadership, visit our Employees page.

  • Born in Dallas, TX, Matthew has a B.A. (1983) from Rollins College and both Master of Arts (1985) and Master of Philosophy (1994) degrees from NYU. He has taught Cultural History at Ross School since 1997. He taught in tenth grade for many years and now serves as Team Leader and Cultural History teacher for twelfth grade. His electives include Advanced European History, Current Events, American and International Politics, and Social Theory of Marvel Comic’s X-Men.

    Matthew has three children, Margaret ’06, Alex ’07 and Hayden ’12, all alumni of Ross. His wife Alison was a longtime and well-loved early childhood educator at Ross. Matthew enjoys skiing, yoga, driving his Morgan three-wheeler, and spending as much time as possible with his family, especially his grandson Hugo (Ross Class of 2036).

  • Jennifer received her B.S. with a double major in Mathematics and Adolescent Education from Plattsburgh State University, NY. She completed her student teaching requirements in NYC and spent her first three years teaching math at Tito Puente Education Complex, in Manhattan.

    Jennifer earned her MA in education with a concentration in leadership of educational organizations from American International University and she has taken additional graduate coursework through Bank Street College and Stony Brook University. She joined Ross School in 2008 where in addition to teaching math in grades 5–12, she has served as a house parent, Field Academy leader, basketball coach, assistant supervisor for the SATs, advisor, and a mediation teacher. Jennifer serves as faculty tech support on the online learning committee, was named 2020 Teacher of the Year, and is a Tech Savvy Math Teacher for Grades 5–PG. She is a mother to two beautiful boys, grew up in East Hampton, NY and now loves living in Sag Harbor.

  • Kim has been a part of the Ross community since the Fall of 2008, teaching in Grades K–4 at Ross Lower School. She transitioned to the upper school in 2013 as the Grade 10 Science teacher. Kim holds degrees in Biology and Chemistry as well as a secondary education teaching certification. Prior to joining the Ross community in 2008, she developed and taught high school science courses for a private school in Harrisburg, PA.

  • studentsupport@ross.org

    Carl grew up on a farm in Upstate New York, graduated from Saint Olaf College in MN, and eaned his M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Temple University.

    His career path spans over twenty years of working with students in wilderness settings, urban and rural schools, and experiential, special, and general education. He has served as a counselor in non-profit organizations, public schools, and a drug treatment facility.

    Carl maintained a private practice near his home in Sag Harbor prior to joining Ross School, where he now enjoys a position focused on respecting the role of mental health in supporting students alongside a team dedicated to facilitating student success in a dynamic, creative, and challenging environment.

  • Jennifer received her degree in Mathematics from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She spent 10 years teaching in the public school system in New Jersey before joining the Ross community in 2006 as a Grade 10 mathematics teacher.

  • Carrie Clark first joined the Ross School faculty in 1999 as a Cultural History teacher for its first junior class (Class of 2001). She now serves as the Dean of Cultural History and the Grade 11 team leader. She has led and facilitated multiple workshops on Ross curriculum and pedagogy on and off campus, in the United States, and abroad. She loves working with high school students, and in 2003 she received the Courtney Sale Ross Teacher of the Year Award. Carrie earned her B.A. in history from UCLA and her MA at SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to teaching at Ross, she worked as a master teacher and curriculum specialist while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger and Belize, and as an instructor at Southampton College and SUNY Stony Brook.

  • collegecounseling@ross.org

    Heather comes to College Counseling with great depth and breadth of experience as an educator. Since 1999, Heather has taught all levels of high school mathematics at Ross, was a curriculum editor for Ross Institute, and also held the position of Dean of Mathematics. As a longstanding member of the senior team, a senior project mentor, and as an advisor, Heather has worked closely with many students as they transition to college.

    Previously, Heather worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in Global Education as an AVP where she led the implementation of the first self-paced learning programs and was a curriculum writer and trainer. Heather earned her BS at SUNY-Albany in Mathematics, MA from NYU Steinhardt School in Educational Communications and Technologies, and is currently working on an Advanced Certificate in College Counseling through UCLA.

  • Grace Dow is a Literature Teacher within the ESOL department. She has been teaching at Ross School since 2022, working with students in Grades 8–12 at Ross Upper School in East Hampton.

    Grace received two degrees from Kutztown University—a bachelor’s in the science of education with a concentration in English and a master’s in education with a focus on literacy. While studying, Grace was a member of the Kutztown University field hockey team, and she remains involved in the sport by coaching for a local club team.

    Prior to Ross, Grace worked at Reading Central Middle School in Reading, PA, as a reading specialist for Grades 5–8.

    In her spare time, Grace enjoys reading, fishing, swimming, and practicing yoga.

  • As an educator, writer, poet, and fine and performing arts lover, Redel believes strongly in a holistic approach to education. He holds two master’s degrees, one in Education from Southern

    New Hampshire University and another in Applied Linguistics from European Atlantic University in Spain. Teaching the Spanish Language is his passion and making connections between cultures and people has been his long-term life goal. Ross School and Long Island are the perfect places for him

    to continue developing, enjoying, and celebrating these foundational aspects of a World Language Program, as well as being part of an evolving learning community.

  • studentsupport@ross.org

    Lisa has spent the last 45 years in elementary and secondary education, working with children from nursery school through twelfth grade. She earned her AAS degree in early childhood education from Bennett College in 1970. Her first eight years of teaching were spent teaching kindergarten in Buffalo, NY, at the Elmwood-Franklin School. During the summers, she took graduate courses at Southampton College, which focused on learning styles and the need for differentiating the way material was presented to students in the classroom.

    In 1978, Lisa moved to New York City's Buckley School, where she taught first and third grades. She continued to develop her interest in understanding the needs of the learning-disabled student through coursework at Hunter College and specially designed courses with established speech/language specialists. In 1992, she moved to the East End permanently, teaching at the Hampton Day School/Morriss Center until its merger with Ross School in 2006. While at Hampton Day, Lisa was the Elementary Division Head, a classroom teacher for Grades 1–4, a sixth-grade math teacher, and a School Test Coordinator. From 2003–2006, she was the Learning Coordinator at Morriss Center, helping teachers develop differentiated curriculum for students with learning needs. Lisa has extensive admissions experience, having developed the evaluation tools for admissions while at the Elmwood-Franklin School, Buckley School, and Hampton Day School. She has training in Junior Great Books, Project Charlie, and Mel Levine's School's Attuned, and has served on several accreditation committees for the New York State Association of Independent Schools.

  • Linda received her B.A. in Mathematics, with a concentration in Secondary Education and a minor in History, from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, NY in 1993. Here she was awarded both the Teacher Education Graduation Medal and Service Graduation Medal. She is a member of the Education National Honor Society and the National History Honor Society. Linda continued her education at Fordham University, where she obtained an M.S. in curriculum and teaching in 1994. In 1997, Linda taught math to high school students at St. John’s Preparatory School, Astoria. In 1998, Linda started at Ross School, where she has taught multiple levels of mathematics, becoming the Grade 10 team leader in 2013. In the same year, she received the Courtney Sale Ross award for Teaching Excellence.

  • Amy Kalaczynski is a Wellness teacher specializing in yoga, Vedic meditation, ayurveda, and pilates. She teaches Grades 9–12 at Ross Upper School.

    Amy received her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and continued her wellness studies at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Nosara, Costa Rica, and at an ashram in Rishikesh, India. Amy is also the founder of the Montauk Meditation Club. Her intention is to provide students with the tools and techniques to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and cooking healthy meals with her family.

  • Sirwan Kakarash has been a Cultural History Teacher at Ross School since 2021. He teaches Grades 9 and 10 at the Upper School in East Hampton. Sirwan received his bachelor's degree in history from St. Bonaventure University and his master’s in government from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining Ross, Sirwan taught history at the British International School in the Kurdistan Region.

  • collegecounseling@ross.org

    Stacey serves as a Counselor/College Counselor at Ross School. She joined the Ross community in the summer of 2022 after working as a School Counselor in the public school setting since 2018. Stacey was born and raised on Long Island and attended high school in Suffolk County. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology at Stony Brook University and her postgraduate degree in school counseling at LIU Post.

    From a young age, Stacey has been passionate about working with children in the educational system. She looks forward to expanding, learning, and sharing her knowledge here at Ross. Stacey is currently in the process of obtaining her LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) certification. She plans to utilize this degree both in and outside the Ross community.

    In addition to joining the Ross counseling team, Stacey is excited to take on the position of Varsity Cheerleading Coach alongside colleagues, where she will draw on her 10+ years of dance/cheer experience to guide the Ross School Cheerleading Team.

  • Therese has been teaching Art History at Ross School since 2000. She received her Ph.D. from The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. She curated the exhibition, 'Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture' at the Parrish Art Museum, Watermill, NY in 2018. It was accompanied by her catalog, 'Image Building' and traveled to the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, TN.

    Among Therese's other projects is her exhibition and book, 'Twilight Visions: Surrealism, Photography, and Paris,' for the Frist Art Museum in 2009, which traveled to the International Center of Photography (ICP) and the Telfair Museum, Savannah, GA in 2010; She was the guest curator and author of an accompanying catalog for 'Andromeda Hotel: The Art of Joseph Cornell,' at the Katonah Museum of Art in 2006; Therese also guest curated and authored an accompanying book for 'Behind Closed Doors: The Art of Hans Bellmer,' at ICP in 2001 which the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) awarded First Place, Best Photography Show, Curator.

    Theresa has written articles and reviews for Art in America, Artforum, and Arts Magazine. She was a visiting professor at Mount Holyoke College, MIT, and Rice University, and an assistant professor and faculty fellow in the Museum Studies Program of the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU.

  • Hailey is a Registered Dietitian who is passionate about sustainable nutrition and has worked in the field of education and childhood nutrition for over 16 years. She earned her master's degree in nutrition science from Syracuse University, and her postgraduate work was completed at Keene State in New Hampshire.

    Having served as the Wellness Coordinator, Nutrition Specialist, and Domain Chair at Ross from 2001–2008, Hailey returned to Ross in 2013 after serving as Wellness Educator at the Ramaz School in New York City from 2008–2013. Hailey runs Nutrition Dragon, a holistic nutrition consulting practice and event catering business. Hailey is a contributing author and childhood nutrition expert for Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, with world-renowned school lunch expert Ann Cooper. Hailey has received awards from the NY State Assembly for bridging the gap between schools and farms and for excellence in nutrition education, and her work has been featured in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

  • Rachel Losacco joined Ross School as a science teacher at the start of the 2023–24 school year. She is excited to be part of the school community, teaching Grades 9 and 11 as well as Advanced Physics. Rachel received her Bachelor’s degree in Physics & Astronomy from Stony Brook University and her master’s degree in Astrophysics from Leiden University in the Netherlands. After three years of graduate work in astrophysics at the University of Florida, Rachel found her calling was sharing what she’s learned about the universe with curious minds in a classroom. During her spare time, Rachel enjoys baking, cross-stitching, reading, and watching movies.

  • Alexis Martino began teaching photography at Ross School in 1999 and also currently serves as Dean of Field Academy. She has led students on numerous international, media-based trips.

    Alexis attended the London College of Printing, studying art history, photography, and printmaking. She went on to attend Parsons School of Design, where she received her B.F.A. in photography and distinguished herself by receiving the Leica Medal of Excellence in Photojournalism. Alexis was a freelance photographer for several years while also shooting and directing the documentary “Home Is Where the Street Is,” which focused on Manhattan’s Lower West Side (Meat Market) in the late 1980s.

    Alexis then studied at the American Film Institute, earning a certificate in cinematograph, and after completing her education, she directed and produced “Where I’m Coming From,” a program that taught filmmaking to inner-city children and gave them an opportunity to direct and shoot films on their own visions and dreams. She also founded Mosquito Hawk Gallery in 2007, which was dedicated to showcasing emerging artists with an eye for the edgy and contemporary aesthetic. Alexis continues to show her art in gallery settings.

    Other awards and recognition Alexi has received include the following: Featured presenter at PIEA Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in April 2004; Chairperson, 2002 Society of Photographic Education Northeast Regional Conference, November 2002; Honorable Mention, Photographic Teacher of the Year Award, Santa Fe Workshop, NM, 2002 and 2012; Presenter, “Using Process Books,” NAIS Conference, Chicago, IL, March 2006; Ross School Teacher of the Year Award, 2012.

  • Before coming to Ross, Amy taught for two years at an international school in Flushing, NY. She received her M.A. in 2015 from Stony Brook University in TESOL along with a certification in teaching writing. She obtained her BA in English from St. Joseph’s College in NY with an initial certification to teach grades 7–12. During that time, Amy was a part of the swim team, swimming for four years and competing at Rutgers University for championships. Amy likes to stay active with yoga, dance, barre classes, roller skating, hula hooping, biking, and anything that keeps her young at heart.

  • Ria Meng has been teaching Mandarin at Ross School since 2017. She currently instructs classes at the Upper School for Grades 5–12.

    Ria received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and her master’s degree in Learning Sciences and Technologies from the University of Pennsylvania. Having moved from China to the United States, she brings a diverse background in translation, curriculum design, and language education to her role. She also is a passionate advocate for international students and families. In addition to teaching, Ria enjoys meditation, traveling, and winter sports.

  • Cameron Miller is the Grade 11 and 12 science teacher as well as the Advanced Environmental Science teacher at Ross. Cameron received an undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Vermont in 2016 and a master's degree in science education at Rutgers University in 2018. Cameron has been an educator since 2019 and has taught both middle and high school science. Previously, Cameron taught in New Jersey and, most recently, in Michigan before returning to the Hamptons. In any spare time, Cameron enjoys crocheting, baking, and reading.

  • Jon received his BFA and MAT/MFA in painting and education from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) then worked as a sculptor, painter, and professor in Baltimore and Manhattan. In 2011, Jon moved his studio to Bridgehampton, NY and joined Ross School as a Visual Arts teache, where he has developed new programs in figurative sculpture, woodworking, and metalworking. Jon is a self-proclaimed art addict, and his passion for working knows no limits. He has always had a drive and attraction to the arts, and as a child often tried to make art out of anything. Looking back, he loved Legos, model making, painting, Van Gogh, swimming, playing in the woods, working with his hands, James John Audubon, street art, and taking apart yard sale finds to figure out how they were assembled. Mulhern's most recent group show included works by Jackson Pollock and Ellen De Kooning. His work has also been exhibited at many galleries including the Peter Marcelle Project, Sara Nightingale Gallery, Art Southampton, Guild Hall, Southampton Art Center, and George Billis Gallery.

  • collegecounseling@ross.org

    Lisa has been helping students through the college application process at Ross for 20 years. As founder of East End Test Prep and Counseling, Lisa began her career preparing students in New York City and the Hamptons for success in all areas of college admissions testing. In the last eight years, she has worked as a college counselor, guiding students through all aspects of the college admissions process. Lisa has been featured in both The New York Times and New York Magazine. She is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Wesleyan University.

  • Maria received her BA with a double major in Mathematics and Art & Art History from Colgate University, and her master's degree in Mathematics Education from RPI. Maria spent one year as the mathematics intern at Emma Willard School before beginning her career at the Ross School, where she taught middle and high school math from 1999–2006. Maria then chose to focus on being a mother to her two daughters while continuing to teach math as a private tutor. She is thrilled to be back at Ross teaching high school mathematics.

  • Tamara Salkin joins Ross as the Performing Arts Theatre Teacher for Grades 1 through 12, spending time on both campuses. Tamara obtained her master’s degree in Theatre Education from the City College of New York, where she graduated magna cum laude. She has taught in schools and theatre organizations throughout New York City and the East End. In 2017, she co-founded South Fork Performing Arts (SFPA), a non-profit children’s performing arts education organization on the East End. As SFPA’s theatre education director, Tamara produces and directs plays and musicals and teaches theatre workshops throughout the year. She is committed to guiding all students in finding and owning their creativity and encouraging them to use the skills gained in theatre to be kind, conscious, critical thinkers across all their academic subjects and lives. In her free time, Tamara enjoys spending time with her children, Ben (Grade 3) and Abe (K), reading, writing, and traveling.

    “Anyone can do theater, even actors. And, theater can be done everywhere, even in a theater.”

    –Augusto Boal

  • Dale received her B.A. in Dance, Drama, and English Literature from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. She performed as a clown and tightwire walker with the Big Apple Circus in New York before moving to Paris on a Fulbright Grant in 1980 and performing in theaters throughout France. She also served as Administrator and later Director of the Experimental Theater Wing of New York University in Paris. Dale taught Circus Arts for Actors at New York University, and then took a turn in her career, receiving an MLS from Queens College, University of New York, and becoming Head of Children's and Young Adult Services at the John Jermain Library in Sag Harbor. Dale has been at Ross School since 2000 (including two years at Ross Global Academy) and is Director of Information Resources and Dean of Senior Projects.

  • Samantha Smith is an Upper School Spanish teacher at Ross. She uses her outgoing personality to create lessons that inspire her students to learn the Spanish language. Samantha began her language career teaching corporate English and Italian in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while studying to perfect her Spanish. She went on to pursue a Doctor of Modern Languages in Italian and Spanish through Middlebury College. Her Doctoral Dissertation, “La Rivoluzione Futurista: Emancipazione Del Rumore, Esaltazione Jazz Band,” explores the influence of American Jazz Music on Italian Futurist Music from 1908–1934. She defended her dissertation in both Italian and Spanish.

    Samantha hopes to help her students genuinely fall in love with the Spanish language and the multitude of Spanish-speaking cultures. In her spare time, she enjoys studying the bible, speaking Italian and Spanish, studying French, and enjoying the Hamptons and NYC with family and friends. She also returns to her other passion, vocal and violin performance, whenever she can.

  • Mami, a native of Japan, joined the Ross community in 2008. After receiving degrees in English Language and Literature, Anthropology, and Speech Communication, she lived and taught in the US, Japan, China, the Philippines, and Spain. She has taught ESOL, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, as well as communication courses such as Public Speaking and Nonverbal Communication to a wide range of learners. She has a deep passion for language-learning and exploring new cultures, and is an avid scuba diver and environmentalist.

  • Cathy joined Ross School in 2014 as Dean of Wellness. Her interest in wellness education is shaped by her curiosity regarding the role of contemplative and reflective practices in helping to develop social, emotional, cognitive, and physiological resilience in young people.

    Cathy grew up in South Korea, Iran, and Malawi. She studied English literature at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and received her MA in Education in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Ross School, Cathy worked at Walnut Hill School for the Arts as Director of International Programs and at Northfield Mount Hermon School as Director of Multicultural Community Development.

    As a yoga and mindfulness teacher, Cathy hopes to create the space and avenues for young people in the increasingly complex world to understand their strengths and abilities through self-awareness and insight. Cathy is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher and trained to teach mindfulness in schools. She also enjoys and values strength and movement training, as well as listening to audio books, cooking, and traveling with her family.

  • Paul is a historian of technology who received his Ph.D. in media studies from the University of Texas at Austin. His research includes the formation of industrial healthcare and telecommunications design, and his writing has appeared in 'The Journal of Design History,' 'Design Observer,' 'Flow,' and 'Film History.'