Faculty and Staff Bios: GSW 2017

Tamara Akinbo (AREA II) teaches Spanish at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem. She earned her B.A. in Spanish and English at Winston-Salem State University and her M.A.Ed. at Wake Forest University. She enjoys discussing pop culture and current events. She loves listening to old school hip hop and 80s rock, reading, watching 80s “B” movies on Netflix, and traveling. She is obsessed with HGTV and the Food Network, but she hates Reality TV. She loves spending time with her son, Ife.

Rodney Allen (GSW DIRECTOR) currently teaches English at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, where he has taught since 1998. He earned a B.A. in English and History and an M.A. in Education from Wake Forest University. He attended GSW in choral music in 1988 and has worked at GSW since 2000. Rodney is married to Robyn Allen, whom he met at GSW in 2000 when they were both TACs. They have 3 children, Lizzie Grace (9), Liam (7), and Connor (3). Rodney enjoys spending time with his family and getting sleep if time ever allows.

Brooke Benson (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) graduated from East Carolina University’s Honors College with a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts concentrating in Professional Acting. In August she will move to Sarasota, FL to be a part of Florida Studio Theatre’s Acting Apprentice Company. She attended GSW for Theatre in 2013 and this will be her second summer working as a Theatre TAC. She loves Jimmy Buffett, is a total bookworm, a nap enthusiast, and will talk passionately about Shakespeare if provoked.

Mary Bergstone (OFFICE MANAGER) Mary is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro and has a Masters in Marketing Education from East Carolina University. She is currently the Career Development Coordinator at Reynolds Art Magnet High School. Mary enjoys singing with several community choirs in town and her church choir. In her spare time, she buys and renovates historic properties to rent. This is her third year at Governor’s School.

Alex Blake (CHORAL MUSIC) holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Wake Forest University, and an M.M. in Choral Conducting at University of California, Los Angeles. Alex’s choral arrangements have been performed by colleges and universities across the nation and his latest arrangement of “Wade in the Water” (written for the 2013 GSW Chorus) has been published with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. He is currently a D.M.A. student in choral conducting at the University of Southern California. He attended GSW in 2005 for Choral Music, and this will be his seventh year working at the Governor’s School.

Sabrina Boyer (AREA II) earned her B.A. and M.A. in English at Florida State University. She completed her post-baccalaureate work in Gender and Women’s studies at UNC-Greensboro, where she also earned her Ph.D. in Education and Cultural Studies. She currently teaches Community College in High Point, NC. She loves anything zombie related; she is a huge fan of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as the original 1992 film. She is also a fan of Gilmore Girls, and anything created and contributed to by Joss Whedon. She loves Gothic literature and digs anything related to media studies or pop culture. She identifies as a queer feminist, and is hugely into politics and issues of social justice. She is often mistaken as an extrovert, but she is very much an introvert who likes to dwell in dark, cool places alone. She loves the ‘80s and ‘90s in terms of music and fashion, and she is preparing for the coming zombie apocalypse. This is her fourth year at GSW! SSDGM.

Joshua Bragg (NATURAL SCIENCE) received his M.A.Ed. in Science Education from Wake Forest University and his B.S. in Chemistry (Secondary Education) from Appalachian State University. He has taught chemistry at several high schools over the last eleven years. He currently teaches AP Chemistry at the Career Center High School in Winston-Salem NC. The vast majority of his free time is occupied with his wife, and son, Parker (age 5). He will start ranting about pseudoscience at the drop of a hat.

Meaghan Burke (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) is thrilled to be returning to Governor´s School West IM faculty as cello/bass instructor. A New York City-based cellist and educator, Meaghan is an avid champion of contemporary music, both composed and improvised, and has worked closely with composers such as John Zorn, Georg-Friedrich Haas, Muhal Richard Abrams, and many more. When she´s not performing with her string quartet The Rhythm Method, her bi-hemispherical performance trio Dead Language, or her Vienna-based songwriter collective Loose Lips Sink Ships, Meaghan can be found teaching group cello, violin, and orchestra to elementary schoolers at NYC's PS9, and leading workshops on improvisation and contemporary interpretation. She also moonlights as a singer/songwriter, and performs her art-pop songs for cello and voice throughout the United States and Europe. As a member of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, Meaghan has performed under the batons of Sir Simon Rattle, Pierre Boulez, and Peter Eötvös. She holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music (Contemporary Performance), Konservatorium Wien University (Vienna, Austria), and Yale. She is currently completing her translation of Austrian composer/sound artist Peter Ablinger's collected writings, and will soon be releasing her second solo album featuring her favorite collaborators from NYC and Vienna.

Nikèl Bussolati (AREA III) just completed her seventh year teaching English in the public school system and will be teaching English at Knightdale High School of Collaborative Design in Wake County, NC this fall. She received her B.A. in English from Furman University, and her M.A.T. in Education from Salem College. Her undergrad focus was on Film Studies and Literary Theory, and she was accepted to Library of Congress Summer Institute for Teachers. She is a former counselor with the Governor’s School of South Carolina at the College of Charleston, and the recipient of the 1990 Most Improved Behavior Award for Mrs. Hamrick’s kindergarten class at Quarles Elementary in Long Beach, MS.

Corrine Byrne (CHORAL MUSIC) just recently received her doctorate in music from Stony Brook University and is a freelance soprano and teaching artist in New York City. She is on faculty at NYC’s Greenwich House Music School where she teaches private voice and leads the outreach choral program. Her most recent singing engagements include creating the role of Lady Madeline in Felix Jarrar’s new opera The Fall of the House of Usher, singing the premiere of the new arrangement of David Lang’s love fail at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and starring as Cathy in The Last Five Years at Opera America. Her most recent conducting appearance was directing the CCMEA All-County Jazz Choir of Germantown, NY. This is her second year at GSW. Emily Casey (MATHEMATICS) graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Siena College in 2014 and a Master of Arts in mathematics from Wake Forest University in 2016. She is currently a middle school math teacher at Brightwood Education Campus in Washington D.C. This is Emily’s second summer as an instructor at Governor’s School West.

Orlando Cela (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) is the Music Director of the Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra. The Venezuelan-born conductor recently received the American Prize for conducting youth orchestras, and the Vytautas Marijosius Prize for orchestral programming. He also received second place in the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award of the American Prize for excellence in the performance of American music. He is also associate music director of Music at Eden’s Edge, and assistant music director of the Juventas New Music Ensemble. This past January he won second place in the London Classical Soloists Conducting Competition for his performances of Beethoven’s Symphonies 7 and 8. Orlando Cela has two masters from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied flute performance and conducting with Paula Robison and Tamara Brooks, respectively.

Sarah Grayce Coats (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Elementary Education and Comparative Literature. She attended GSW in 2012 for Social Science, which is the same area for which she currently serves as a TAC. In her spare time, she enjoys playing board games, running and spending time with her two cats.

David Connell (CHORAL MUSIC) has just completed his third year as Director of Music and Worship Arts at Norfield Congregational Church in Weston, CT, having served there for the previous seven years as Artist-in- Residence. He is a founding Artistic Director of Music on the Hill, leading amateurs and professionals in choral and handbell ensembles. David holds a D.M.A., M.M.A., and M.M. in Music Performance from The Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music. He also earned a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. He started in the choral department at GSW in 2003 and has led the program since 2006.

Chase Culler (PUBLICATIONS; TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR; AREA III) is currently a graduate student at Georgetown University studying English Literature. He received a B.A. in English and Modern Culture and Media from Brown University. This is his fourth summer at GSW, which he attended as an English student in 2008.

Bob Davis (MATHEMATICS) graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Elon University in 2003 and a Master of Arts in mathematics from Wake Forest University in 2005. In 2005 he was named “Outstanding Master’s Student” at Wake Forest University. Bob spent three years on the faculty at Forsyth Technical Community College. He just completed his ninth year on the faculty at Alamance Community College, where he serves as coordinator of the Math Center, and co-advisor of the Mathematics and Physics Club. Bob was named Instructor of the Year for the Business, Arts and Sciences division at Alamance Community College in 2015 and 2016. This is Bob’s thirteenth summer as an instructor at Governor’s School West. Bob is passionate about doing and teaching mathematics, and he believes that we can all be better at mathematics than we currently are.

Matt Evans (MATHEMATICS) is a doctoral candidate in mathematics at Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY. He holds a B.S. in mathematics from Berry College (2008) as well as Masters degrees in mathematics from Wake Forest University (2010) and Temple University (2013). During the 2013-2014 academic year he taught at Roanoke-Chowan Community College in Ahoskie, NC. He is regarded as the best ping pong player on GSW faculty/staff by a wide margin. This is his eighth year teaching at GSW.

Web Farabow (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is a History major at Williams College. He attended Governor's School East in 2013 and has come this summer to conclusively determine which campus is better.

David Farrow (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is pursuing his masters in Media, Communication, and Culture at New York University. This past May, he graduated UNC Chapel Hill with a double major in Cultural Studies and Public Policy. He enjoys listening to angular punk, watching Japanese horror films, and reading cultural theory. This is his second year at GSW.

Kate Friesen (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is completing her B.A. in Communication at the University of Arkansas. She is a Resident Assistant and the National Residence Hall President for the university. In 2014, she attended Governor’s School West for English. As an avid reader, she aspires to work in the book publishing field after graduate school.

Ruby Gibbs (ACTIVITIES; AREA III) is a 2017 graduate from Elon University, where she received her B.F.A. in Music Theatre. A Raleigh native, Ruby attended Governor's School East for Choral Music in 2011, and served as the Dance TAC at Governor's School West in 2015. Ruby has worked as a professional actor in theaters across the country, and is thrilled to be moving to New York City in August.

Randall Hayes (NATURAL SCIENCE) earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester in New York and holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Kentucky. He currently teaches in Greensboro, NC. This summer he will teach a neuroscience course for the fifth time. He lives in Greensboro, where he organizes the Greensboro Science Café (www.facebook.com/greensborosciencecafe) and writes a monthly science column called PlotBot for a local science fiction magazine (www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/columns).

David Hill (Area II Instructor) has a B.A. in English from Temple University and an M.A. in English from Louisiana State University. He currently works as a humanities instructor at the North Carolina School of Science and Math.

Morgan Howell (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) currently attends UNCG, where she is pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in American Sign Language. She studied visual art at GSW in 2012 and this is her second year as the Area III TAC. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid. Morgan is currently writing her honors thesis on borderline personality disorder, rejection and emotion dysregulation. Helen Hubacher (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is a rising junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she studies Political Science and Hispanic Linguistics. Come talk to her about Kanye lyrics, feminism, and how to grow your own orange tree from the seed. This is her second summer at GSW.

Kim Jones (AREA III) is an English teacher at Chapel Hill High School, where she serves as lead teacher for English II World Literature. Kim is a National Board Certified Teacher for Adolescent/ Young Adult English Language Arts. She received her B.A. in English and M.A.Ed. in English Education at Wake Forest University. She attended GSE in English in 2000 and has been on the GSW faculty since 2007. Kim is a recent workout convert and may often be found grumbling on her way to the treadmills in the fitness center, though smiling on her return jaunt. She also holds an intense passion for 80s powerhouse Journey and So You Think You Can Dance.

Andy Kozar (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC), a Pittsburgh native, Andy is a New York City-based trumpeter, improviser, composer, and educator. He has been called a 'star soloist' by TimeOutNY and has been said to be ‘agile as he navigated leaps and slurs with grace...he shifted between lyricism and aggression deftly’ by the International Trumpet Guild Journal. A strong advocate of contemporary music, he is a founding member of loadbang which has been called ‘inventive’ by the New York Times, ‘cultivated’ by The New Yorker, and ‘a formidable new-music force’ by TimeOutNY. With loadbang, his playing has been said to be ‘polished and dynamic, with very impressive playing’ by the Baltimore Sun, and that he 'coaxed the ethereal and the gritty from [his] muted instrument...and revealed a facility for shaping notes and color' by the San Francisco Classical Voice. Andy has studied with Anthony Pasquarelli, James Thompson, Brian McWhorter, Jens Lindemann and Mark Gould, has studied at Carnegie Mellon University, holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music, and a M.M. in contemporary performance at Manhattan School of Music. He has given lectures and master-classes at institutions including The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, New York University, and Northwestern University. He has worked as an instructor of trumpet at Hunter College, regularly works as a teaching artist for the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program, and is on faculty at the North Carolina Governor’s School and the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Boston.

Bridget Lavender (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is a rising senior at Davidson College, working towards an interdisciplinary major in Communication Studies & Social Justice. She attended GSW for Social Science in 2013, and this is her second year working as a TAC.

Shannon May Mackenzie (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) was born in Asheville, North Carolina. At the age of 16, she began studying Visual Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduating in 2011, she joined a performance ensemble and toured from Western North Carolina to the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, D.C. In the summer of 2012, Mackenzie was awarded a Kenan Fellowship to study at Penland School of Crafts. Shortly after, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. Shannon graduated in 2015 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts and the Allie Pratt Award. After graduating, Shannon made her directorial debut with a short documentary call "Rotatio," which traveled around the country in festivals such as Slamdance Film Festival, AFI Documentary Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival. Shannon currently lives and works at Arcosanti in Arizona, an urban laboratory exploring ideas of architectural arcology, sustainability, and community.

Angela Mallard (NATURAL SCIENCE) is a doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned a M.A. in Physical Anthropology from New York University and a B.A. in Anthropology and History from the University of Arizona. She taught biological anthropology at the college level for nearly 4 years in Arizona before moving to Knoxville to pursue a Ph.D. in the same subject. In addition to being a member of the Osteometric Variation Analysis Lab at Tennessee, she is also a lab instructor in human anatomy. Her research interests involve human population history, particularly ancient gene flow and migration. She has been dipping her toe into quantitative genetics for the past several years, which is fascinating and frightening. Angela can often be found watching old movies, working on the preliminary research for her dissertation, and complaining about the humidity (because she’s a native Arizonan). She also really wants to see pictures of your dog. This is her second year at GSW.

Imani Matherson (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR; AREA III) received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Winston-Salem State University. She will be teaching 2nd grade in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. In her spare time, she tutors in primary reading and middle school math. This is her second year at GSW.

Erin McKenney (NATURAL SCIENCE) currently works as a postdoctoral researcher for the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State University. She earned her B.S. in Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill, her M.S. in Animal Science from NC State University, and her Ph.D. in Biology from Duke University. Erin loves to research and teach about the complex microbial communities that live around and inside of us. In grad school she collected feces from 142 animals at 4 different zoos, and is now studying an even larger collection of sourdough starters from around the world. When she’s not investigating the natural world, Erin enjoys blacksmithing and home renovation.

Kayla Miron (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is a rising junior at Vassar College, where she is majoring in English and Educational Studies. She is a member of Vassar’s resident dance company and works as a writing consultant in the Vassar College Writing Center. She attended GSW for dance in 2012.

Evan Mitchell (THEATRE) is a professional actor, director, and teacher who has performed locally, internationally, and in New York. He trained at UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC School of the Arts, and at the Lecoq-Lees studio in Paris, France. He teaches a demanding array of physical theater techniques including Contemporary Mask, Viewpoints, and Lecoq Movement Analysis. This is his sixth year at GSW.

Luca Molnar (ART) received her B.A. in Studio Art from Dartmouth College. She is currently working towards her M.F.A. in Studio Art at NYU, where she also teaches introductory painting. She attended GSE in 2008 for Art, and this will be her sixth summer at GSW. Matt Morris (AREA II) is a professor of English and Humanities at Guilford Technical Community College. He has a B.A. in Art History from Davidson College, an M.A. in English from Wake Forest University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Matt has been with GSW since 1993.

John Navarro (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He has also collaborated on Neuroscience research. He attended GSW in 2012 studying Math and this is his first summer as a TAC.

Amy Olsen (SPANISH; AREA III) 2017 currently teaches Spanish at Carrboro High School. She earned her B.A. in Spanish and Women's Studies and a M.A. in Teaching from UNC-Chapel Hill. She attended GSW for English in 2004, and worked as the Spanish TAC under the guidance of the illustrious Jim Churchill before taking on Spanish Area I. This is her 7th summer working at GSW and 5th year as the Spanish Area I instructor. Aside from teaching, she’s lived in Spain, worked as a bookmonger, formally volunteered as a companion for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center from 2009-2012, and continues to be involved informally in Sexual Violence education and prevention. Some of Amy’s other interests include global awareness and activism, feminism, reproductive rights, poetry, urban art, hula hooping, bananagrams, her partner, and her dog, Slurpy.

Nathaniel Parks (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) received his B.M. in Music Composition at Gardner-Webb University under the instruction of Dr. Matt Whitfield and Dr. Bruce Moser. He was recently selected as the only undergraduate student to present at the Society of Composers, Inc. national conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan for his choral piece, Kyrie. This is his third year as the choral music TAC. He attended GSW in 2011 for choral music.

Nicole Parks (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) is thrilled to be involved with the Governor's School for the first time this year! Originally from Minnesota, Nicole Parks is a Boston-based violinist and pedagogue who lives with her composer husband and two fluffy and loving cats. With a particular passion for contemporary music, she collaborates with a diverse group of performers and living composers to bring new music to a wide range of audiences. She performs regularly with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and is a violinist and founder of the Semiosis Quartet, a string quartet performing exclusively 20th/21st century music with the passion and dedication that it deserves. She was the founder and original artistic director/conductor of The Lirica Chamber Ensemble; an ensemble created to play rarely heard and new works for chamber orchestra. Nicole is currently concertmaster of the Arlington Philharmonic and East Coast Scoring. Nicole is a member of the American String Teacher's Association and serves on the MA-ASTA board as Secretary. She has held a violin faculty position at The Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB) since 2010, where she teaches violin, viola, and cello, directs the Junior String Ensemble, and has spearheaded the Beginning Strings program, which offers small group classes to 4-6 year olds. Summer performance and education workshops where she has taught include BIMA at Brandeis University, Minnesota All-State Festival, CMCB’s SummerMUSIC, and STRINGWOOD. Nicole holds a BM in violin performance from St. Olaf College, and MM and PSC degrees from The Boston Conservatory where she studied violin performance and pedagogy with Sharan Leventhal.

David C. Phillips (ENGLISH/AREA III) An alumnus of GSW (1995), David holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in Political Science from Hampden-Sydney College. His academic/research interests revolve around metafiction, narrative/narratology, philosophy of language, theory of fiction/fictionality, and the works of Vladimir Nabokov and Philip Roth. He has been teaching at the college level for fifteen years within both the University of North Carolina and North Carolina Community Colleges systems and is currently employed a full-time instructor at Wake Technical Community College. This is his fifth consecutive summer as a faculty member at GSW. He is an avid fan of the “true crime” genre, horror movies, and classic punk rock. He lives very happily with his wife in Greensboro in a home more or less owned and operated by their irrepressible four-year old daughter.

Benjamin Phillis (SOCIAL SCIENCE) received his M.A. in Education from Wake Forest University and his B.A. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill. He has experience teaching World History, Psychology, and US History 1 at Atkins High School (Winston-Salem, NC) and Paulo Freire Charter School (Newark, NJ). He also coaches basketball and enjoys playing in his free time. This is his seventh year at GSW.

Bethany Phillis (DAY DEAN OF STUDENTS; AREA III) earned an M.A. in teaching from Duke University and a B.A. in English from UNC-Chapel Hill. She teaches English at Hendersonville High School, her alma mater. Her students know her for wearing her Lowe’s toolbelt when she teaches and for performing at assemblies as the rapper Phil.I.Is. If you want to make her smile, ask about her cat, Boo. This is her ninth summer at GSW.

T.R. Richards (RECREATION COORDINATOR) recently retired after 31 years at West Forsyth High school where he taught, coached, and worked as the Athletic Director. He earned a B.S. in Education from Appalachian University. In 2015, he was inducted into the Education Hall of Fame for Appalachian State University, known as the Rhododendron Society, and in 2016, he was inducted into the Winston-Salem Sportsman Hall of Fame.

Dillon Robb (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR), originally from Winchester, Virginia, is an active chamber and orchestral musician. He is first violinist of the Boston Conservatory Honors String Quartet and East Coast Scoring Orchestra. A multi-disciplinary artist, Dillon regularly collaborates with composers and dancers: as an accomplished ballet dancer, he has commissioned and premiered works for "dancing violinist.” Awards include winner of MA-ASTA Chamber Competition, "Best Contemporary Performance" of the Solo Competition, and a grant from Marion Park Lewis Foundation. Currently recording chamber music by Mario Pagotto, Dillon's first CD with the Virtuoso Soloists of New York will be released by MEP Label in the fall of 2017.

Chris Sabolcik (AREA II) holds a B.A. in English and Philosophy and an M.A.Ed. in Secondary English Education, both from Wake Forest University. He teaches English and Debate at West Forsyth H.S. in Clemmons, NC. In his free time, Chris enjoys doing yardwork. This is his fifth summer teaching at GSW. Brittany Salaam (OFFICE ASSOCIATE; AREA III) is from Durham, North Carolina. She received her B.A. in Politics and International Affairs from Wake Forest University in 2016. She spent the past year working for the National College Advising Corps as a virtual adviser. In the fall, she will be attending The University of Pennsylvania to pursue her M.S.Ed. in Counseling and Mental Health Services. Brittany is also a Governor’s School alumna (Choral Music, ‘10) and is super excited to return to GSW as a staff member!

Emily Satterfield (ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR; AREA III) teaches English in Winston-Salem. She earned a B.A. in English Literature and German at UNC-Chapel Hill and an M.A.Ed. at Wake Forest University. In her spare time, Emily enjoys reading, playing tennis, hiking, writing, and playing with her cat, T.S. EllieCat. This is her fifth summer at GSW. Samuel Shaver (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) attends UNCG where he studies Theatre and Political Science. This is his second year working at GSW. He is a Theatre alumnus from 2013, and he is particularly interested in physical movement and tension in relation to acting with a special focus in Alexander Technique. He has also worked on several local and statewide political campaigns. Michael Simons (ENGLISH) received his M.F.A. in fiction writing from Cornell University and his B.A. in English from UNC Greensboro. He has taught creative writing, literature, and film at Cornell, Wells College, and Trinity University. He was a 2016-17 Resident Associate at the National Humanities Center. This is his tenth year at GSW.

Lundon Sims (AREA II) teaches Spanish and serves as the Foreign Language Department Chair at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, NC. She earned her B.A. in History Education and Spanish at Elon University and her Master’s in Spanish Education at Auburn University. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer to Nicaragua in 2002-2004. She was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. She attended Governor’s School in the Summer of 1996, and this is her 2nd year at GSW as an instructor.

Catherine Smith (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR; AREA III) attended GSW for English in 2008 and graduated from Bard College in 2013 with a degree in Written Arts. She has worked in publishing, the non-profit sector, and education. She is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Fiction at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Caitlin M. Spencer (AREA II) teaches, researches, and creates work prompted by a range of questions, concerns, and curiosities, most recently moving between and amongst performance studies, choreography, theories of embodiment, critical legal studies, post-structural feminisms, sound studies, and curriculum theory. Currently (during the fall and spring), Caitlin teaches seminars in critical thinking for first-year students and courses in cultural foundations of education at UNCG. Caitlin holds an M.F.A. in Choreography from UNC Greensboro, a B.A. in Dance and African American Studies from Oberlin College, and is currently a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at UNCG. This is Caitlin’s second year at GSW.

Emma Strickland (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) attended GSW for Visual Arts in 2013 and will graduate from UNC Chapel Hill next year. She is studying English Literature with a minor in studio art. She just returned from a semester abroad at King’s College London. This is her first year working at Governor’s School. Emma is a cheese enthusiast.

Oliver M. Thomas (SOCIAL SCIENCE)is a native of North Carolina, received a Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. Currently, Oliver is a Ph.D. student in the Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations Program at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. He has taught Introduction to Ethics as an adjunct faculty member at Carolina Christian College, Winston-Salem, NC. He has also taught Cultural Foundations of Education as a Senior Teaching Graduate Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He enjoys good coffee, good food, live music (i.e., jazz, blues), and thoughtful conversation. This is Oliver’s first summer with GSW. Sara Ruth Tourek (DANCE) Assistant Professor of Dance, Sara has worked as a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator throughout the United States. Sara has also choreographed several shows at Greensboro’s Triad Stage and has been invited to present work as the featured local artist on the North Carolina Dance Festival Tour as well as the Greensboro Fringe Festival. She was the featured guest choreographer and teacher at Texas Tech and Northwest Florida State. Sara holds a M.F.A. in Dance/Choreography from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a B.F.A. in Dance Technique from Ohio University. Sara has also served as the Lead Dance Instructor at Governor’s School West for the last eight years. Katie Ujevich (TEACHING ASSISTANT/COUNSELOR) is from High Point, North Carolina. She graduated with honors from Gardner-Webb University in 2016 with a B.M. in Vocal Performance. Katie attended Governor's School East for Choral Music in 2011 and is excited for her second year as Choral Music TAC here at GSW. In her free time, she enjoys singing Disney songs, organizing and color-coding everything in sight, and volunteering at church.

Gaye Weatherman (NIGHT DEAN OF STUDENTS) is a retired Forsyth County principal. In 2007, Gaye was selected as the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County principal of the year. This is her thirty-third summer at Governor’s School.

Trev Wignall (A/V COORDINATOR) Trev is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. He was previously a TAC for four years, and he performs at music festivals with his electronic dance music band.

Frank Zachary (CHORAL MUSIC ACCOMPANIST) lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He works as a freelance musician throughout North Carolina, and is the youth choir director and a choral section leader at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem. He received his M.M. in Collaborative Piano from UNC-Greensboro and his B.M. in Vocal Performance from UNC-Chapel Hill. He has performed across the eastern U.S. as well as in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Ireland. He attended Governor’s School West for choral music in 2001. This will be his sixth year as a GSW faculty member. Peter Zlotnick (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and is the Principal Timpanist for the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Salisbury Symphony Orchestras. He is a founding member of the duo Amphion Percussion and performs regularly with the Philidor Percussion Group and other chamber ensembles. In addition to performing, Peter is the Education Manager for the Greensboro Symphony where he coordinates small and large ensemble concerts, instructional programs, and the Greensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra. During the school year, he teaches percussion via The Music Center of City Arts Greensboro. Peter received his M.M. in Percussion and Music Education from Northwestern University and B.M. from the Eastman School of Music. This is his fifth summer at GSW.