As we prepare to welcome our new and returning students back to campus next week, it is with pleasure and excitement that we welcome our new faculty members to The Governor’s Academy community.
Emily Allen - Science
Emily graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in Physics from Trinity College where she played varsity lacrosse. She has her M.S. in Applied Physics from Yale University, and her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston University. Emily worked at the Pomfret School in Connecticut for several years where she taught physics and chemistry, coached varsity girls lacrosse and JV girls soccer, and served as a dorm parent and form dean. Most recently, Emily has been working at Boston University developing and teaching integrated science courses. While in Boston she also worked with the Boston Public Schools, instructing after-school and summer programs in math and physics. In addition to teaching, Emily conducts research on student learning through the use of visual modeling in science, and is currently part of an NSF-funded research project at Boston University. After seven years at the collegiate level, Emily is very excited to return to the boarding school community this fall, and will be teaching physics and coaching lacrosse and soccer. When she’s not in the classroom, Emily can be found hiking with her husband, Jason, and dog, Penny, or off running, practicing yoga, or in her studio creating art in Watertown, MA.
Ryan Badecker - Math
Ryan graduated from St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire and went on to earn a B.A. in Mathematics, with a minor in education, from McGill University in Montréal, Canada. She earned her M.S.T. in Mathematics from the University of New Hampshire. Ryan began her teaching career at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics where she was a residential staff member and taught upper-level mathematics. She comes to Governor’s from Connecticut where she has been a faculty member at the Kent School for the past seven years and earned the Class of 2016 Teaching Fellowship. In addition to teaching, Ryan advised the math team, served as a dorm parent, and was the assistant coach for JV girls ice hockey and JV softball. She was also actively involved in community service programs at Kent where she led trips to New York to work with Habitat for Humanity, guided international service trips, and organized a campus-wide Relay for Life event for a number of years. In addition to teaching math, Ryan will be assisting with the JV girls ice hockey and softball teams and living in Moody House.
Victoria Bernier - Associate Director of Admission
Victoria graduated from Haverford College with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in economics. She began her career teaching English 10, English 11, and AP Psychology at West Nottingham Academy (WNA) in Colora, Maryland, and after three years moved into WNA’s admission office, eventually assuming the Director of Admission role. Also while at WNA, Victoria coached both the girls and boys varsity basketball teams, served as a dorm parent, led the National Honor Society, and was a ninth grade and senior class dean. In 2016, she was awarded the C. Herbert Foutz Award for "enthusiastic dedication to the Academy". Victoria began her boarding school career as a teaching intern at the Advanced Studies Program (ASP) at St. Paul’s School where she taught literature and film. While at Haverford, she co-captained the women’s basketball team her junior and senior years and was named to the All-Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and to the All-Centennial Conference Sportsmanship Team in 2012 and 2013. In addition to her basketball career, Victoria was the co-head for the Special Events Committee for Students, a board member for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and co-founder of TEDxHaverfordCollege. Victoria will serve as the assistant girls varsity basketball team and live on campus in Commons with her husband Joe, their border terrier, Dixie, and their “goldador” (half lab/half golden retriever), named Will.
Eddie Carson - Dean of Multicultural Education
Eddie earned a B.A. in History and Religion, and an M.Ed in History Education from Harding University, and has been a residential faculty member at Brooks School for the past six years. He has published and presented papers that focus on diversity, Black identity, religion, Du Bois, and history teaching. His working manuscript, W.E.B. Du Bois’s Editorial Influence on Western Negro Migration, responds to the gap concerning Du Bois’s impact regarding Blacks and the American West. Eddie edits for The Christian Century Magazine Then and Now, and sits on the Christian Scholars’ Conference Diversity committee. As he completes his tenure as chair for the AP History Division of the College Board and Exam Committee, he is excited about his recent appointment to the editorial board for the Society of Values in Higher Education. Joined by two other historians, they are editing a special issue of Socialism and Democracy Journal: “Socialism and Democracy in W.E.B. Du Bois’s Life, Thought, and Legacy”. Furthermore, Carson published a text for students and teachers through Norton Publisher, Historical Thinking Skills in European History. Eddie will serve as the assistant boys junior varsity tennis coach next spring. Before joining The Governor’s Academy faculty, Eddie and his wife, Janette, migrated from the Deep South to New England. They will be residing in Eames dormitory two four-legged creatures: Abbey (dog) and Cooper (cat).
Shanna Fliegel - Art
Shanna graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She went on to complete ceramic residencies at the Cub Creek Foundation in Appomattox, Virginia and Greenwich House Pottery in New York City. Drawing and painting were Shanna’s first love and she continued to search for the perfect marriage of imagery and clay while fulfilling her MFA in Studio Art/Ceramics at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. After graduate school, Shanna worked as a resident artist, community outreach fellow, and instructor at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York. While there she enjoyed working with the local community and taught as a resident artist at Brunswick Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut. Shanna most recently taught ceramics at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC while maintaining a studio practice at her home in New Bern, North Carolina. She successfully presented two curatorial projects in March during NCECA 2018 (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This summer she spent two weeks in Maine working on a new body of work at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. Shanna will serve as the assistant JV field hockey coach and supervise Soup’s On this winter. Shanna and her husband, Brian, who will be working in the library, have two sons and they will reside in Ingham.
Barbara Friend - Director of Instrumental Music
Barbara received her B.M. in Clarinet Performance and Music Education from the Ithaca College School of Music where she was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and graduated with the Dean’s Award Summa Cum Laude. She received an M.M. in Instrumental Conducting with Frank Battisti with Distinction in Performance and Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. There she conducted the Conservatory Orchestras and Wind Ensembles and directed the premiere performances of many pieces by visiting composers. With over twenty years of teaching experience, Barbara has taught in a variety of school settings. In central New York, she directed a high school band program with an eighty-five member concert band, marching band, jazz band, woodwind and brass chamber ensembles, and taught individual instrumental lessons. She also developed the curricula for the music history and advanced music theory classes. In Massachusetts, Barbara was the Director of Instrumental Music at Needham High School where she taught three concert bands, jazz band, drama, piano, and guitar courses. She also taught K-8 classroom music and concert band in the Hamilton-Wenham school district. Barbara initiated and developed the instrumental lesson and band program at the Brookwood School in Manchester, MA. Barbara and her husband live in Rowley and are the proud parents of two boys who are Governor’s and St. John’s Prep graduates. Barbara will work with the community service program and conduct the pit orchestra for the winter musical.
Erika Mitkus - Science
Erika graduated from the Pingree School and attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she majored in biology and minored in world religions. After spending her final semester studying abroad in New Zealand, Erika spent time rock climbing and hiking in Australia and Thailand before heading to Nepal to teach English in a Buddhist monastery. Erika returned to the United States to complete her M.Sc.Ed degree at the University of Pennsylvania and has been teaching biology and environmental science at the Sanford School in Delaware. She will teach biology and coach volleyball and alpine skiing. Erika lives in Maine with her husband, Scott.
Jim O’Leary - Assistant Director of Athletics and Admission
Jim graduated from Northeastern University where he earned a B.S. in Communication and played varsity football. Jim has coached high school sports for 30 years and just completed his eighth year at The Governor’s Academy. As the head football coach, the team has a record of 49-11 including four ISL Championships and three New England Championships. He’s also served as the head varsity boys basketball coach for the last five years and the assistant varsity baseball coach for eight years. Jim is excited about his role as Assistant Athletic Director while still supporting the Admission Office. He will live in Perkins with his wife, Jill, their sons, Brett ’17, Shane ’20, Peyton ’21 and their dog, Brody.
Adrienne Roberto- Part-time Mathematics Instructor
Adrienne graduated from The Bromfield School in Massachusetts, where she was named a Bromfield Scholar, and went on to earn her B.A. from Georgetown University, graduating cum laude. While at Georgetown, she focused her studies on mathematics, psychology, and fine arts, was awarded the daVinci Medal of Excellence, and was inducted into the Psi Chi National Honor Society. Adrienne began her education career teaching mathematics and art at the Willow Hill School, at which time she took graduate classes in special education. For nine years, she taught mathematics and art, and coached field hockey at the Brimmer and May School. She left Brimmer and May to raise her children and launched her mathematics tutoring business during this time. Adrienne lives in Topsfield with her husband, Brett, and their three children, Kai, Kole, and Charlie, and English Bulldog, Winnie.
Michael Shelton - Associate Director of Admission
Michael is returning to New England after spending two years in his home state of Indiana where he was the Associate Director of Diversity and head boys varsity basketball coach at the Park Tudor School in Indianapolis. Michael graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a B.S. in Business Management, Marketing, and Administration. Prior to Park Tudor, he was the Assistant Director of Admission and head boys varsity basketball coach at The Williston Northampton School. At Williston, Michael coached the Wildcats to winning back-to-back NEPSAC Class A titles in 2015 and 2016 while earning NEPSAC Coach of the Year in 2015. Michael also served as assistant men’s basketball coach at Wesleyan University, the University of New Haven and video coordinator at Winthrop University. Michael will serve as head boys varsity basketball coach and will reside in Perkins.
Pictured in photo from left to right by row:
Top row: Michael Shelton, Jim O'Leary
Middle row: Erika Mitkus, Eddie Carson, Victoria Bernier
Middle front: Shanna Fliegel
First row: Emily Allen, Ryan Badecker, Adrienne Roberto, and Barbara Friend