Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Stephanie Heyeck’s journey in the world of biology has taken her across the country and through some of the most prestigious academic institutions, culminating in her fulfilling role at The Pennington School. Her path, marked by groundbreaking research, a passion for teaching, and a commitment to innovation, exemplifies the dynamic blend of science and education. 

For over two decades, Mr. Jason Harding has brought his passion for history, research, and community engagement to the Pennington School, serving as a great example of someone, through their diverse interests, who enjoys “giving back.

Ms. Caroline Hall, an art teacher at The Pennington School since 2002, has made an indelible mark on the school’s art program. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts from SUNY Geneseo in New York and later completed her Master’s degree in art and design education at the Pratt Institute. 

Ryan Totaro, a proud member of Pennington’s Class of 2018, has come full circle, returning to his alma mater to inspire a new generation of students. Equipped with the wisdom and experience gained during his time at Pennington and beyond, Totaro has quickly made his mark as a dynamic and creative teacher. 

Dr. Lizabel Monica’s journey is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and passion that have defined her life and career. Born in Cuba, Dr. Monica, who is in her second year at Pennington, was deeply involved in the country’s ideological and literary movements and carved a unique space for herself in a tightly controlled environment.

Ms. Bonnie Cusack has decided that, after ten years at The Pennington School, it is time to retire from full-time teaching. Considering that this academic year was also her fiftieth year of teaching—and an impressive half century at that—it’s safe to say that Ms. Cusack is well-deserving!

Mark DiGiacomo has traveled a most interesting path on his way to becoming a mentor to many teachers here at Pennington and beyond, as well as earning a reputation as a “mover-and-shaker” in the world of AP US History.

Although Mr. Jerry Russo is one of our most tenured teachers, currently serving in his 36th year at Pennington, he maintains that working with Pennington students daily, as a Spanish teacher and in many other capacities, helps to keep him young.

If we, as teachers, strive to inspire our students to continue doing good work once they’ve left Pennington, Ms. Sue Wirsig certainly lives this axiom. Although she has only been with us for about a dozen years, Ms. Wirsig has quickly passed along her love of research and product development to current students and alumni alike.

When listening to Ms. Zuyi Wang speak about teaching and engaging with students, there’s a sense of excitement that is truly infectious. Pennington’s one and only teacher of Mandarin Chinese, and also a teacher of English for second-language learners, Ms. Wang has quickly made her mark since joining Pennington in 2021. 

Fresh out of college, Ms. Lisa Houston was working as an interior designer in her native Princeton when she saw a newspaper advertisement from one of Princeton High School’s sports rivals, The Pennington School. They were looking for a part-time Middle School drama teacher.

Nick DeRosa, who joined our history department in the 2022-23 school year, is doing what he loves, both in and outside the classroom. His journey to the classroom, though, was certainly an intriguing one. After earning his B.A. in government, law, and international affairs at Lafayette College, DeRosa took his knowledge of the law into a different direction. His first full-time job was as an operations manager of a New Jersey security firm. Instead of assigning homework and grading quizzes, DeRosa was responsible for the placement of armed guards and other security personnel in five states and helped lead the special operations unit in the fields of private investigation, security penetration testing, workplace violence, financial fraud, loss prevention, and other sensitive areas.

Parents are often right and certainly for Mr. Jamie Moore, this was the case. When he was looking for opportunities to substitute teach after graduating from Lebanon Valley College, his parents suggested that he give Pennington a try. Armed with a bachelor in Citizenship Education: Social Studies, he quickly became a prime teaching candidate.

In 2008, when Dr. Don Dolan began offering piano lessons to Pennington students, he had no way of knowing that what was meant to be a short-term gig would develop into a nice career at Pennington.

In winter 2022, when Dr. Lida Castro began packing for her sabbatical in Spain, she had two choices: pack a lot or pack sparingly. She’s happy to say that she decided to do the latter. “Guillermo (her husband) and I left each with a carry-on bag, and that’s exactly what we came back with!” Not only has Dr. Castro gathered a great many material items, as one does over the course of 11 years in one place; she also collected a nice list of accomplishments.

When Elysia Price joined Pennington in 2016, she knew what kinds of courses the Math Department offered. What she might not have known, however — our math teachers love their math and their costumes!

For the past four years, Dr. Nate Van Yperen has been combining his love of nature, travel, and religious studies to improve the curriculum of Pennington’s religion offerings.  

Over the last dozen years, Ms. Samantha Stern-Leaphart has worn several hats at Pennington and, in doing so, has played an important role in making the School a stronger institution. Since joining us in the fall of 2011 as a member of the English Department, Ms. Stern-Leaphart has taught many interesting courses. These include her current Grade 10 Honors English course, American Identities, as well as Gender & Sexuality, Hyphen-American Literature, Film & Visual Media, Finding Identity, and Creative Writing.

Holly Jones is a longtime member of the History and Social Studies Department at Pennington. We often refer to her as the economics teacher, and--behind the scenes-- Jones has carved out quite a niche for herself in the world of economics education in the United States.

Before economics became “her thing,” Jones, currently in her thirty-first year on Pennington's faculty, taught a slew of courses since she began in 1992. These have included various history courses such as the history of the U.S., modern Japan, specific periods such as the post-WWII era, and colonial Latin America. For a number of years, Jones was the chair of the History Department. And for several years, Jones has taught courses in both AP Micro- and Macroeconomics as well as Introduction to Economics.

Who teaches three levels of Latin in the Middle and Upper Schools as well as Grade 9 English? Who is a dorm parent, serves as the costume director for the Fall Play, and as the advisor to the Middle School Play, and then says that he’s up for a challenge — so he starts a master’s degree program? 

A student who takes the environmental science course with Dr. Margo Andrews is in for an experience – and it happens to be an experience that mirrors what environmental scientists do in the real world. And Dr. Andrews should know – her first job out of college was as a watershed ecologist in Baltimore City, Maryland.