Donna Hulsey

Head of School

As an undergraduate at Rhodes College and a graduate student at the College of William and Mary, Mrs. Hulsey pursued a strong foundation in the classical liberal arts, linguistics, literary analysis, rhetoric, and composition. Mrs. Hulsey has worked as a senior technical writer, publication editor, and project manager in business; a freelance writer in banking and healthcare; and an instructor in writing in elementary and college classrooms. Outside academics, she has enjoyed teaching in several realms, but her favorite challenge has been coaching teams in creative problem solving (Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination) since 1990. Led by the needs of her own children into advocacy for gifted children, Mrs. Hulsey has trained in best methods for teaching gifted learners; she regularly authors articles on gifted education and speaks to professional and parent groups. A veteran of several startups, Mrs. Hulsey has been a founding member of several professional organizations and publications.
dhulsey@austingifted.org

Karen Langdon, M.Ed.

Director of Admissions and Counselor

Mrs. Langdon graduated from Emory University with a double major in Biology and Psychology and completed her Masters in Education at the University of Arizona, with a specialty in counseling and parent education. Employment in several medical hospitals followed, where she did parent education and training, therapy, marketing, and served as a consultant and speaker on a range of medical topics. Mrs. Langdon completed all coursework for a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of South Carolina and finished her internship at Austin State Hospital. When she struggled to find gifted services for her own children, Mrs. Langdon changed directions. In 1999, she co-founded Summer Wonders, a summer program for gifted students, and completed an internship at the Gifted Development Center in Denver, emphasizing assessment of gifted children and counseling families on the social and emotional needs of this population. She serves as a community resource and public speaker on the needs of gifted students, conducts teacher training, and helped found the Austin chapter of the American Creativity Association.
klangdon@austingifted.org

Elizabeth Lay

Assistant Director, Program Coordinator, Fencing

Ms. Lay holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Grinnell College, and has completed additional studies in film, theatre, and literature with the Libera Universit Internazionale Degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli in Rome, Trinity College in Dublin, and The University of Texas at Austin. She has completed training and workshops in performance studies with the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Shakespeare and Company, The Actors From the London Stage, The Globe Theatre in London, and The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Ms. Lay believes strongly in the value of learning through performance and is passionate about the growth of Shakespeare programs at ACE Academy. Ms. Lay joined Austin Gifted in the spring of the school’s third year as the Program Coordinator for both ACE Academy and Summer Wonders; prior to that, Ms. Lay worked in the e-learning industry, the UT Department of English and Shakespeare at Winedale Outreach Program, and as a freelance actor, director, and performance coach. Her production of St. Mathilde’s Malady won Best of Fest in the Hyde Park Theater 2010 FronteraFest. Ms. Lay‘s interests also include fencing. She has worked as the Assistant Coach with the University of Texas Fencing Club and holds the title of Assistant Moniteur d’Escrime (Fleuret) with the United States Fencing Coaches Association. With Adam Brewer, she coaches the ACE Academy Fencing Team, and is working to continue her own personal fencing training as competitor in foil.
elay@austingifted.org

Peyton Smith

Administrative Coordinator, High School Advisor, ODIM Facilitator, Elementary French

Ms. Smith graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin. As a Distinguished Graduate of the Plan II Honors Program, she completed a senior thesis on the philosophy and physics of time. During her time at UT, Ms. Smith was a Producer of The Broccoli Project theatre troupe and spent two summers as an actor in the Shakespeare at Winedale Program. Prior to joining ACE Academy, Ms. Smith worked in the Plan II Development Office and in the Region 6 Water Enforcement Division of the Environmental Protection Agency. She is delighted to celebrate her third year at ACE this December. Outside the office, “Lady” Smith is a nationally ranked Scrabble player and member of the National Scrabble Association. She enjoys craft projects, organizational strategizing, and strong coffee.
psmith@austingifted.org

Magali Pijpers

ACE Administration: Publications/Design

Dutch by origin but raised internationally, Magali was born in Singapore and lived in Belgium, Hong Kong, New York and London before arriving in Austin in 2010. She received her BA in Liberal Arts/Writing from New School University in New York. Magali has a background in editorial and publishing work, but her heart lies in education. Prior to ACE, she worked with 826nyc in Brooklyn and the Austin Bat Cave, both non-profit organizations dedicated to teaching creative writing to kids. She is excited to begin her second year at ACE. Magali is interested in music, book arts, independent publishing, periodical journalism, literature, ephemera, film, mixed-media arts, walking, and travel. She has a dog named Junebug.
mpijpers@austingifted.org

Robin Grace Thompson

ACE Administration: Admissions Coordinator, Office Manager and Administrative Assistant

Robin Grace Thompson graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Edward's University with a Bachelor of Arts. Ms. Grace was also a member of the 2005-2006 Actor's Theatre of Louisville Acting Apprentice program, and for the past three summers has served as the Associate Director and Counselor of Camp Shakespeare at Winedale through the University of Texas. It was here that she had the pleasure of working with several ACE students and falling in love with their creativity and character. Ms. Grace is a founding member of the DA! Theatre Collective, whose interactive show for kids, Heron and Crane, was accepted to FringeNYC 2010 as a part of FringeJR in New York. This past summer, Ms. Grace performed in the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival in Scotland. Ms. Grace has been teaching for the past nine years in a variety of educational settings and is certified to teach Theatre and Early Childhood through Sixth grade. Outside of the classroom you can find her working in the theatre, painting with watercolors, or learning how to play the baritone ukulele!
rthompson@austingifted.org

Kimberly Whitmer

ACE Administration: Library and Information Services

Kimberly is a recent graduate of the Masters in Information Science program from UT’s iSchool. She has worked with different literary focused non-profits in Austin including the Texas Book Festival (for whom she curated and put on an event for young adult readers in 2010) and American Short Fiction. Her undergraduate studies were focused in English with a creative writing emphasis and her greatest passions continue to be reading (especially short fiction), writing, editing, and making information and literature easily accessible to others. Kimberly will be working to build, grow, and organize ACE’s fiction and non-fiction libraries this year. Her interests include publishing, film, music, baking, Pilates, wellness, travel, and her two cats.
kwhitmer@austingifted.org

Dr. Nance Riffe

Administrator; Admissions Counsellor; High School English, Elementary Science Communication

Dr. Nance Riffe received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Women’s Studies at George Mason University. There, she was one of 25 students selected to receive a full tuition scholarship as a member of the Mason Scholars Program, an academic honors and learning community. She was awarded the University’s highest distinction, Senior of the Year. At George Mason, Dr. Riffe competed for the GMU Forensics Team (competitive public speaking and acting). Her senior year, she broke the national record for highest number of events in final rounds at the national tournament. She received her Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies at the University of Alabama where she was awarded a TAG Fellowship, a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, and a Research Assistantship. Dr. Riffe completed her coursework toward her Ph.D. in Communication at the University of Texas at Austin and received her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama where she was awarded the Department of Communication’s highest graduate school honor, Outstanding Doctoral Student. Her Doctorate is in the field of Communication with a concentration in Critical, Cultural, and Rhetorical Studies with a cognate in Qualitative Research Methods through Education Research. She has received several Top Paper awards at national and regional communication conferences including her field’s largest conference, the National Communication Association. After completing her doctorate, Dr. Riffe was awarded a professorship at the University of Alabama. Dr. Riffe is a performer at heart; here in Austin, she was recently awarded Best of the Fest 2011 at Frontera Fest for an original monologue and enjoys occasionally performing in Austin’s Encyclopedia Show. She (along with her partner, Bryan) volunteers as a coach for the UT Forensics Team. Bryan and Nance are the proud parents of a Labrador retriever named Bella and a tiny cat named Lizzy.
nriffe@austingifted.org

Primary

Caroline Poe

Little Rockets Teacher

Caroline Poe has been working with young children for over a decade. Most recently, she taught at St. David's Episcopal Day School for three and a half years. She enjoys facilitating exploration and discovery, as well as establishing a positive relationship with school for the youngest of students. As the parent of gifted children, she understands the need for a specialized educational environment. When she's not teaching preschool, Mrs. Poe works as a professional photographer. She puts these talents to use working with the middle school students on the ACE Academy year book. Mrs. Poe has two daughters who currently attend ACE.
cpoe@austingifted.org

Little Rockets Aide

Lorraine was born and raised primarily in England, attending high school at The American School of London. Lorraine received a degree from California State University at Chico with a focus on elementary education. Following graduation, Lorraine began raising a family of three children with her husband, Lon. Lorraine's children attended cooperative preschools and Lorraine and Lon loved every minute of this shared experience. Their two daughters attended Escondido Elementary School on the Stanford University campus, where both children and parents enjoyed the unique benefit of learning from families from all around the globe. These experiences combined gave Lorraine an appreciation and understanding of young children, and led to years of working with the preschool-age child. Lorraine's area of strength is her love for children's literature. This is Lorraine's second year as an assistant in the Little Rockets class and it has been wonderful, indeed!
lberquist@austingifted.org

Melinda Rincon

Director of the Primary School, Primary Blue Teacher

Melinda Rincon began her teaching career after graduating from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She has a B.S. and minored in Education and Child Development. Before coming to Austin, she spent seven years in Houston teaching at Westchester High School in the Spring Branch School District. After her husband, Don, was transferred to Austin, she worked for DHL Airways as an Account Executive, selling International Service to high-tech companies. When her daughter Lauren was in elementary school, Mrs. Rincon decided to go back to her first love: teaching. After successfully completing certification in elementary education, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and gifted education training, she was hired by AISD to teach first grade. Mrs. Rincon taught first grade for four years and pre-kindergarten for one year before starting the Primary 1 classes at ACE. This is her third year at ACE and she loves that she is able to incorporate all of her past experiences teaching these children. Mrs. Rincon especially loves teaching children to read and instilling the desire in them to learn and love school.
mrincon@austingifted.org

Primary Blue Aide

Kelly Granade was born and raised in Illinois, where an agrarian lifestyle instilled a love of nature and neighbor. Her family opened their home to foster children for 15 years, which helped cultivate an awareness of the social and emotional needs of others. After moving to Dallas, Kelly was hired at Rytheon-Lockheed as controller for top secret ME documents for 5 years, while after-hours studying Early Childhood Development at Brookhaven College. Children are Kelly’s first love, and led her to nanny with a young family of three elementary-aged GT children and an infant. After six years with the family, Ms. Granade acquired a Texas Real Estate Licence and began a successful, decade-long career as a buyer's agent in Austin real estate. In her personal time, she enjoys tai chi and working at the Children's Hospital with her dog, Tigger, for Pet Pal Therapy, which she has been doing for several years. Kelly is the proud mother of two gifted boys who attend ACE Academy.
kgranade@austingifted.org

Karin Asplin

Primary Blue Teacher

Karin Asplin received her degree in Early Childhood education from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. Previous to that, she attended Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, LA for a year and a half to play volleyball for the Ladies. She began her work at ACE two years ago as an aide for the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes, and spent the last year as the Primary 3 teacher. Ms. Asplin is delighted to be the Primary 1 teacher this year, and has now been teaching the Pre-K through first grade age group for 5 years and has a passion for children this age! In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to live music, preferably Texas Country, and plays in several volleyball leagues around the Austin area throughout the year. Her parents live in Katy, TX and vacation in Pagosa Springs, CO when time allows. She has a sister, Kristin, who lives with her husband, Noah, their beautiful daughter Isabella and 2 dogs (Bailey Lou and Mia Pia) in New Braunfels, TX.
kasplin@austingifted.org

Deblina Moulik

Primary Blue Aide

Deblina Moulik has been living in Austin for the past 5 years. While pursuing undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, she kept herself occupied: volunteering with various organizations, tutoring, translating for asylum seekers, and working as an undergraduate researcher at the Center for Learning and Memory. In the past few years, Deblina has interned at the Mayo Clinic and the Seton Medical Center, and she intends to pursue public health policy research next. Currently, she also serves as the Youth Coordinator at St. George's Episcopal Church, a weekend employee at Bookpeople, and as a freelance photographer (focusing primarily on street photography). Deblina usually bikes everywhere and drinks coffee without restraint.
dmoulik@austingifted.org

Tenley Sage Houghton

Primary Yellow Teacher

Ms. Sage completed her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts at California State University, Chico with an emphasis in Humanities, and is working on her Master’s coursework in elementary education. During her last year at Chico State, Tenley directed and coordinated a program for at-risk teens about respect and etiquette. The program was an uplifting success that is still used in the Boys and Girls Club of Chico today. Tenley was introduced to ACE two years while teaching the Computer Explorers after school program, and spent last year as Mrs. Rincon’s aide in Primary 1. She fell in love with the smiling faces of the students and staff and is thrilled to be a part of such a forward thinking school that focuses on the needs of the individual.
tsage@austingifted.org

Rebecca Aiello

Primary Yellow Teacher

Rebecca Aiello is thrilled to be returning to ACE and working with the yellow pod this year. She graduated from The University of Texas with Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Philosophy in 2006, and returned for her teaching certificate in 2008. She is certified to teach PK - 4th as well as ESL. In her spare time, Rebecca likes to paint and scrapbook, and she can be seen running various races around town. Just recently she completed the San Francisco marathon, and is training for the Austin marathon. 
raiello@austingifted.org

Kristyn Meyer

Primary Yellow Aide

This is Kristyn Meyer’s first year at ACE Academy. She is a Ph.D. Candidate at UT in the Department of Rhetoric and Language. She also teaches courses in Communication at Central Texas College in Killeen, TX. After finishing her B.S. in Communication Studies at UT in 2003, she taught middle and high school at a charter school in North Austin. She was inspired by her students to pursue graduate education and has been teaching collegiate courses for the last six years. Kristyn was a nationally-ranked public speaker during her time as an undergraduate at UT, and has since coached seven college forensics teams to the top five nationally. In her spare time she enjoys making jam.
kmeyer@austingifted.org

Sara Protzmann

Primary Red Teacher

Sara Protzmann graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, specializing in Early Childhood Education. She has many years of experience teaching pre-school- through elementary-aged children. Sara was born and raised in Kansas City, MO.  She married a Texan, eventually bringing their family to Austin several years ago.  Sara is raising three gifted children, two of whom attend ACE.  Her interests are reading, jewelry making, yoga and walking the family dog Goose.
sprotzmann@austingifted.org

Ralph Hardesty

Primary Red Aide

Ralph Hardesty earned an MA in Communication Studies from the University of Alabama before going to lecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Mr. Hardesty was a coach of the Forensics programs at both schools coaching several national champions and numerous national finalists and semifinalists. He is thrilled to return to teaching after taking a short break to focus on writing and performing, most recently on his monthly variety show, The Encyclopedia Show, which was named a Critics' Pick for the Austin Chronicle's 2010 Best of Austin.
rhardesty@austingifted.org

Kirk Ver Halen

Primary Red Teacher

Kirk Ver Halen originates from Chicago, Il. He has spent more than half his life in Texas. He graduated from The University of North Texas in 1997 and has been teaching ever since, including work with gifted students in the Dallas Public Schools. This will be his first year at ACE Academy, and he is looking forward to working with our students; he believes this is where he is meant to be, and is excited about putting his talents to work. In his spare time he likes to go boating, biking and traveling.
kverhalen@austingifted.org

Katie Yates

Primary Red Aide

Ms. Yates received her B.A. in English with a Writing Concentration from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. She spent several years in the finance industry, serving as a Corporate Relations Manager and working extensively with First Financial Northwest Foundation, a non-profit foundation dedicated to assisting non-profit organizations in accomplishing their goals. A cross country move led Ms. Yates to discover a deep interest in teaching and working with children. She managed the Austin School of Fashion Design, where she also taught classes in all aspects of fashion design and organized a vibrant summer camp. Ms. Yates is delighted to be at ACE Academy.
kyates@austingifted.org

Deedee Cutright

Primary Science

Mrs. Cutright joined the ACE Science Department last spring. This year she will be sharing her joy of teaching science with the primary students. Mrs. Cutright graduated Summa Cum Laude from Jacksonville University, and brings a life-long love and involvement with science and the environment to ACE. Mrs. Cutright has worn many “hats” in her professional career, from teaching Kindergarten to teaching children and adult jazz dance classes, and operating an environmental consulting company with her husband. Most recently, she owned and operated a Learning Express Toy Store. Her love of science is what attracted her to Learning Express because of their wide range of toys that focus on making science “fun” for children. Always anxious for an opportunity to work with children, Mrs. Cutright had many fun “science discovery days” at her toy store, with science kits as the center of the hands-on activities. Having raised three gifted children, she has experiential insight to the joys of teaching the gifted learner. Mrs. Cutright is excited to share her passion for teaching with the students this year, and to inspire them to learn about the wonders of the world around them.
dcutright@austingifted.org

Laura Zahm

Science, Primary

Mrs. Zahm has a master's degree in Geology from the University of Texas. After spending 10 years working in research for the petroleum industry, she has turned her energy toward her true passion, teaching science. She has served on several K-12 education committees, published in many scientific journals, and spent most of her spare time (when not working and raising her three gifted children) working in the classroom helping to enrich the "hands-on" science activities at the elementary and middle school levels. Mrs. Zahm plans to share her passion for the natural sciences with all the students at ACE not only to help them learn about the inner-workings of the world around them but to help them grow into stewards of the planet for the future. "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...' " Isaac Asmiov
lzahm@austingifted.org

Upper School

Akina Adderley

Director of the Fine Arts Department, Music, Theatre, Elementary Advisor

Mrs. Adderley (a.k.a. Mrs. A) is thrilled to embark upon her fifth year as a member of the ACE community. Mrs. A's educational background includes a BA in American Studies from Yale University (where she also studied music and theatre); graduation from New York's LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts ("the Fame school") where she was a drama major; music training at Manhattan School of Music, where she was a classical voice major; and additional post-baccalaureate studies in piano, music theory, and vocal performance at the Mannes School of Music and The New School. Mrs. A has been teaching music, drama, choir, voice and piano lessons, and directing children in plays and musicals for almost a decade, including two years and several summers at the family business, The Adderley School for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. In addition to her education and years of teaching, her expertise in music and theater comes from many years of professional experience acting, singing (as a lead and backing vocalist, and in choirs), conducting choirs, songwriting, band leading, and doing vocal arrangements. Mrs. Adderley is a dedicated vocalist, songwriter, performer and educator, and is excited about continuing to share her love of music and theatre with your children. She feels honored to have the opportunity to Inspire students to explore their own creativity, and to help kids develop the ability to think about the arts. At ACE, Mrs. A heads the Fine Arts Department and teaches Primary Music, Elementary Music, Elementary Creative Drama, Middle/High School Theatre, and Middle/High School Band, as well as directing the school production of Tartuffe. Outside of ACE, Mrs. A leads a soul band called Akina Adderley & The Vintage Playboys, sings with various jazz groups, loves to read and watch movies, and enjoys walks through the park with her dogs Bodhi and Rudy.
*Mrs. A is currently offering private voice and piano lessons after school. Feel free to contact her for more information.
aadderley@austingifted.org

Brad Barry

Elementary Language Arts, Social Studies, and Advisory, ODIM Facilitator

Brad Barry is excited to be teaching Elementary Language Arts and Social Studies this year at ACE. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010. While majoring in Plan II Honors, he wrote for the Life & Arts section of the Daily Texan and hosted a weekly radio show on KVRX. Currently, his academic interests are musicology, rhetoric, composition, and grammar. Mr. Barry's other passions include experimental music, long-form journalism, and pizza.
bbarry@austingifted.org

Dr. Deanna Buckley

Director of the High School, Science Department Head, Math

Dr. Deanna Buckley, B.S.: M.S.: Ph.D., Science Education, Biology / Chemistry has over 70 hours of upper-level, formal university science content and 27 years of teaching experience, including public middle and high school,  private elementary, middle school and high school,  community college, and two universities. She has been trained by the National Science Foundation's Institute of Inquiry at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and in DNA analysis from Cold Spring Harbor’s vector team. Her publications include curriculum research completed in designing a new course in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas (2007): A Translational Bioengineering Course Provides Substantial Gains in Civic Scientific Literacy in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering (p. 1324). She worked for 4 years with Research Methods in the UTeach program preparing pre-service mathematics and science teachers for the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas which has been recognized by The Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century (2006, p. 117) and awarded federal funding for 21 replication sites across the country. Dr. Buckley has designed and delivered elementary science teacher professional development using digital microscopes in six different regions throughout Texas for the Texas Educational Agency and Girlstart. She also has worked as a science writing consultant to Anaxos and ENZOology. Other fieldwork includes experience as a science and math teacher coach in the NSF funded Delta Rural Systemic Initiative for regions in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.  In 2009, she presented original science curricula field tested at ACE at the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented and has had subsequent contact with other schools interested in implementing it. She has delivered national presentations for the National Science Teachers Association, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the National Association of Biology Teachers and is currently a reviewer for several of their professional journals. She believes that science as a way of knowing should be experienced by students collecting data, analyzing results using frequentist statistical methods, and proposing original explanations based on direct observations and logical inference. Dr. Buckley's classes are fully hands-on, often using advanced technologies such as spectrophotometers for measuring the loss of beta carotene during cooking in carrots, or aseptic techniques for culturing and studying micro-organisms, or, genetically engineering E.coliDH5a with pBLU to produce betagalactosidase and antibiotic resistance, or, on a larger scale, field testing ecological growth factors which may enhance food crops. These scientific techniques and strategies can be understood and used successfully with gifted students at a much younger age than is currently practiced in many mainstream classrooms. ACE students often have to be coerced out of the science classroom (or the outdoor classroom garden).
dbuckley@austingifted.org

Sarah Cook

Primary and Elementary Spanish

Ms. Cook graduated with honors from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Hispanic Studies. Her undergraduate thesis, which earned her the Maria Teresa Leal Thesis Prize, used Mexican film to explore the anxieties surrounding the deterioration of traditional Mexican family structures in the 1980s as a direct result of the economic collapse of 1982. As a contributing writer for both the Rice Thresher and Rice Standard, she was able to interview some of the biggest names in music, including Ben Kweller and The National. She also taught three college level courses while at Rice: The Origins of Punk Rock, Tarantino vs. Almodovar, and The Origins of American Horror Film. Her success in teaching these classes and position as Entertainment Chair of the Rice Programming Council earned her the Dan M. Caesar Cultural Award in 2010. She has also won awards for her commitment to Free Trade, and for her work at Children’s Haven International in Reynosa, Mexico. Her passions include contemporary street art, cheesy B movies, avant-garde fashion, live music, improv, high brow books about low brow things, memes, horseback riding, and wakeboarding.
scook@austingifted.org

Katharina Eldada

French

Ms. Eldada graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University, minoring in Education and earning a BA with departmental honors in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. After graduating from college, Ms. Eldada worked in New York City at the American Numismatic Society, where she catalogued many of the museum’s holdings of medieval glass weights and vessel stamps, and authored a book chapter on the topic. After taking some time off following the birth of her daughter, she embarked on a teaching career. Most recently, she led the Middle and High School German language program at the International School of Boston, a position that she held for several years until she moved to Austin. In Austin, she has been teaching French, German and English at the Berlitz Language Center. Ms. Eldada is certified in French, German and Elementary School Education. A native of Switzerland, Ms. Eldada started her teaching career at the age of fifteen as a ski instructor. For several years, she led the German language program at the International School of Boston. As the mother of a gifted child, she is particularly enjoying teaching at ACE.
keldada@austingifted.org

Geneva Hinchliffe

Elementary Math, Middle School English and Advisory, ODIM

Geneva Hinchliffe is returning for her second year at ACE Academy teaching Middle School Language Arts, Elementary and Middle School Math, and Community Service. She is also excited to be coordinating the pilot year of the new upper-school program Open-Door Interdisciplinary Modules (ODIM). She received her undergraduate degree from Trinity University, majoring in Communications and Education and minoring in English. She also served as Co-Editor and Layout Editor for Trinity’s literary magazine The Trinity Review for three years. Mrs. Hinchliffe recently earned an M.Ed. in Secondary Education with a minor in Gifted and Talented Education and Special Education from Texas State University. She is a certified teacher in Secondary Math and English and has more than five years experience tutoring middle and high school students in most subjects including Math and college prep. Outside of teaching, Mrs. Hinchliffe is a passionate knitter and looks forward to knitting with students, faculty and parents in her afterschool club.
ghinchliffe@austingifted.org

Randy Hollensbe

Director of Technology, Robotics and Computer Programming Instructor

Mr. Hollensbe was part of the gifted program in Picayune, Mississippi, graduated a year early, attended Pearl River Jr. College for two years followed by Mississippi State University, where he majored in Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. While at Pearl River Jr. College, he led a team of programmers to win the first title for the college in a programming competition at the University of Southern Mississippi. After college, Randy was hired by Cincinnati Bell Information Systems (later renamed Convergys) as a Programmer. He stayed with the company for almost 20 years, holding titles of Programmer, Lead Programmer, Senior Programmer, Program Manager, Project Manager and Manager - Information Technology, and Senior Manager - Information Technology. While at Convergys, Randy also received his Project Management certificate from George Washington University. Randy was also educated in ITIL, ITIL 3.0, Lean Processes, and was a certified Change Agent. In his spare time, Mr. Hollensbe enjoys coaching girls’ soccer. He coached travel soccer for girls in Florida for 7 years, winning many titles. He has also been actively involved with the Board of Deltona Youth Soccer, holding positions of Secretary and Vice President of the club.
rhollensbe@austingifted.org

Andie Jew

Art

Mrs. Jew originally comes from Chicago. She studied art at The Minneapolis College of Art and Design and The McNay Art Institute in San Antonio. She was an elementary school substitute teacher and library assistant before becoming a children's art instructor. Other than teaching art to children, Mrs. Jew runs her own small business creating custom, handmade invitations, greeting cards and gifts. She has also taught classes in rubber stamping, printmaking and papermaking. Mrs. Jew lives in Round Rock with her husband and has 4 children of her own, ages 15,17, 21, and 22.
ajew@austingifted.org

Chris Lay, M.Ed.

Middle School History, Government, and Economics, Elementary Art and Community Service

Ms. Lay comes from a large, extended family of gifted teachers, so she grew up in the midst of conversations about learning. She has 27 years of experience in private and public schools teaching students ranging from Pre-Ks to high school seniors. Her Texas teacher certifications include Secondary French, Government, Economics; Elementary Education; Special Education; and English as a Second Language. She is particularly drawn to working with gifted and talented children because of the joys and challenges she encountered in rearing two exceptionally gifted children of her own. Ms. Lay double-majored in French and Government to earn a B.A. with Honors from the University of Texas. Also at UT, she obtained an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with a Social Studies Emphasis. Significant trainings include Gifted and Talented Foundations Institute; New Jersey Writing Project: Capital City Writes; Balanced Literacy; Schools Attuned, All Kinds of Minds Institute; Assessment for Learning: Keeping Learning
on Track; Hilda Taba Instructional Strategies, Advanced; and Ingersoll Rand Economics Teacher Internship. This year, she is teaching American History, Government, Economics, Community Service, and Art. She likes to hike, bike, dance, swim, cook, sing, and visit with friends and family.
clay@austingifted.org

Emotional Intelligence

Dr. Legarreta holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from The University of Texas at Austin, a M.A. in Counseling from St. Edwards University, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from St. Mary's University, where she is a member of the Chi Sigma Iota Honors Society. She comes to ACE with a background in child development, child and adolescent counseling, and international diplomacy..
clegarreta@austingifted.org

Tabitha Molett, M.Ed.

Director of Middle School, Language Arts and Humanities Department Head, ODIM

Ms. Molett was an undergraduate at the University of Arizona and the University of Texas at Dallas. She graduated with a B.A. from the school of Humanities and continued her education at Southern Methodist University, graduating with Honors and obtaining a M.Ed., Master Reading Teacher Certification, as well as a Gifted and Talented Endorsement. For the last ten years she has worked as a classroom instructor, special area teacher, and Gifted Specialist (Kinder-6th
grade). She has experience writing curriculum, presenting teacher workshops on the nature and needs of gifted children, and piloting innovative programs. She is the co-creator of the signature ACE Academy program ODIM (Open Door Interdisciplinary Modules), a course designed to allow students to explore an interest of their choice in greater depth, raise spiritual consciousness, and involve students in the process of creative thinking and problem solving. Ms. Molett has been actively involved in Destination Imagination, No Place For Hate, ACE Innovation, and various other academic and creative thinking competitions. She is a member of the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented, National Association for Gifted Children, and American Creativity Association. She believes in teaching heuristically and incorporating creative thinking and risk taking at every turn. Her students can be found holding Socratic Discussions and having philosophical debates about literary themes. When she's not working, she enjoys going to movies, traveling, writing, and keeping up with the extraordinary accomplishments of her past students.
tmolett@austingifted.org

Elementary Language Arts

Pam Nicholas graduated Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a degree in Media Arts. After working in video production and web design, she realized that her true passion lies in having a career that helps spark a sense of wonder and self-confidence in children as they make important connections about themselves and the world around them. Since becoming a teacher, she has received a Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. Pam feels very strongly that every student she works with is a new opportunity for her to continue to learn and grow as an educator. Pam has now been working with children for over a decade, teaching all subject areas in kindergarten, third, fifth, and sixth grades. She has a son who she hopes will soon attend ACE Academy.
pnicholas@austingifted.org

Joe Parsons

Elementary Advisor, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science Communication

Native Austinite Joseph Parsons holds a BA in History from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Texas teacher's certificates in History, Social Studies Composite, and Special Education, and three academic service awards from AISD. After being a permanent substitute teacher at Austin High School for five years and seeing countless gifted students and talented teachers have their creativity stifled, Mr. Parsons is thrilled to be in such a wonderful and inspiring place of learning, where "No Limits" is truly the motto. Teaching was not an occupation Mr. Parsons originally set out for; however, after ten years of working with children, being challenged to stayed informed on fascinating subjects, and standing in awe of the moment when a student understands a new concept, he has found that teaching is the most rewarding experience he has ever had. Teaching at ACE has given Mr. Parsons the opportunity to pay forward the flexibility, patience, and compassion shown to him by the many inspiring teachers he had growing up as a gifted student with a learning disability himself. A working comedian for 18 years, Mr. Parsons' interests also include travel, movies, comic books, board games, constantly learning new things, being amazed by intelligent people, and walking his dog Burnet with his wife, Kristin.
jparsons@austingifted.org

Emotional Intelligence

Mrs. Rothfus received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and Psychology and a Masters in Social Work from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her career teaching in a Boston high school and spent the following 20 years as a therapist working in schools, community service agencies, and private practice with children and families. As her children entered school age, she began attending Learning & the Brain Conferences and researching the complex brain issues that surround children’s ability to learn. To assist parents and educators in acquiring the most recent information in disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, biology, and gender, she founded KidKonnect in 2007 in Austin. KidKonnect is an innovative program offering workshops that coach and train parents and educators in learning the most effective teaching and parenting techniques for children of all ages. She is a trained facilitator for the parenting and teaching program Love and Logic, and has taught Love and Logic parenting classes throughout Austin. She has also taught as a substitute teacher for Trinity Episcopal School for two years, and as a permanent third grade substitute at The Girl’s School of Austin. She is very active with her two boys’ extra curricular activities, including coaching their Destination Imagination (DI) teams for the last four years. This past year her son’s Elementary Team advanced to the Global DI competition in Knoxville, Tennessee, and she currently sits on the Destination Imagination Board in Austin. In the 2009-2010 school year, she also assisted her older son’s middle school team in the First Lego League Competition, which made it to the Global Finals competition in Atlanta. Lisa brings a strong educational background to ACE Academy, along with knowledge of the latest research in psychological and educational techniques for the gifted and talented child.
lrothfus@austingifted.org

Allison Shugart

Middle School/High School Latin, Elementary Language Arts

Allison Shugart graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Latin. She is certified to teach both Latin and English. Allison is member of the Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honors Society and the Delta Kappa Gamma International Honors Society for Professional Educators. She taught for twelve years in both the Austin and Eanes Independent School Districts before becoming a stay at home mom to her sons, Cameron and Cooper, both currently students at ACE Academy. Allison is beginning her fifth year teaching at ACE.
ashugart@austingifted.org

Lauren Siegel

Math Department Head, Elementary Math/History Teacher

Mrs. Siegel received her undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1988. After spending time in the workforce and while raising two gifted sons, she attended the University of Texas College of Natural Sciences UTeach program to train in teaching math using the inquiry method. She is certified to teach mathematics at both the middle and high school levels in Texas. Mrs. Siegel also teaches spinning at the YMCA and volunteers regularly with community outreach programs Caritas and Mobile Loaves and Fishes. A favorite math class at ACE is Mrs. Siegel's annual bead extravaganza, featuring bead jewelry making and related spreadsheets. She presented at the 2009 conference for the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) about math labs she has developed, and has published in Mathematics Teacher, a publication of the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics.
lsiegel@austingifted.org

Carolyn Smith

Math, Science

Carolyn Smith holds a BA in History from Southwestern University and a BS in Computer Science from St. Edwards University. Her background is in developing software for education, as well as a ten-year history of tutoring students with a wide range of levels and abilities. She has been involved in Destination Imagination and its precursor, Odyssey of the Mind, since 1990. She is an active volunteer with the Helios Project, an organization dedicated to distributing computers with open-source software to students and low-income families in Central Texas.
She has a real passion for finding models and systems from real world scenarios, and looks forward to bringing this enthusiasm to ACE's science and math classrooms. Whether it's the projectile motion of a grasshopper or the growth rate of a social network, the application of mathematical concepts to the world around us inspires Mrs. Smith and her students to find real-world relevance in abstract ideas.
Mrs. Smith's other interests include homebrewing, carpentry, and vegetable gardening (Texas permitting). She loves her dogs dearly and her truck maybe a little bit too much.
csmith@austingifted.org

Dr. Mo Yazdi

Math, Science

Mo Yazdi, MS; PhD, is a former postdoctoral student and research associate scientist at UT/Austin, and has taught math, biology, physics, medical sciences, molecular biology/biotechnology and chemistry for more than 25 years. Following college years spent in three different countries, Dr. Yazdi has taught medical students at The Imperial Medical Center of Iran in Tehran, and at various schools in Austin, Texas, including work with students of different ages, talents, and strengths at Rawson-Saunders School, the gifted and talented population at Summer Wonders, and with the GATE program at Hill Country School of Austin. Dr. Yazdi has been trained in Gifted and Talented Education in Region XIII Texas education. He has enjoyed taking his students on a variety of field trips, such as visits to the Nanotechnology Institute, virus-battery pioneer Professor Angela Belcher’s lab at MIT, and the medical school at Harvard University.
myazdi@austingifted.org

Coach Adam Brewer

Fencing

Coach Brewer discovered fencing during his freshman semester at University of Texas at San Antonio in 2004, and quickly rose to the top of local and regional tournaments. He has been competing at the national level for six years along side both the best fencers in the nation and also several internationally based world-class fencers. He is continuing to train in the hopes of making the United States Olympic team. Coach Brewer has been teaching fencing for five years, beginning with the San Antonio Sports Foundation. In 2006 Coach Brewer assumed the role of Head Coach for the Swordplay at UTSA Fencing Club. Coach Brewer is currently pursuing a degree in Physical Education with the hopes of achieving a Masters degree.
abrewer@austingifted.org

Coach Bob McLucas

Physical Education

Owner and Director of Stretch-N-Grow of Central Texas, Coach Bob uses games and exercises to teach sportsmanship and skills while students learn about the body, proper alignment, and nutrition.
coachbob@austingifted.org