Who We Are
Meet the great people at New Roots Charter School! Check back later to see more Faculty, Staff, and Board of Trustees bios as they are added.
Faculty
Alejandro Bernard-Papachryssanthou
Music Ensemble Director
Alejandro has been a professional musician and private instructor for seven years, having received his Bachelor's in Music Education with a concentration in jazz studies from Ithaca College in 2007. While attending Ithaca College Alejandro performed regularly with local area musicians. These performances included national and European tours with JSAN and the Analogue Sons, playing at Grassroots and Ithaca Festivals with artists such as Sim Redmond Band and Donna the Buffalo, and local venue jazz performances with his piano trio. He can now be seen and heard on the Commons with the salsa band El Rumbón. In addition to performing, Alejandro has taught at the Lansing Summer Band Camp, given several master classes on brass technique and continues to teach privately. An athlete as well, Alejandro was a state champion in track and field in the 4x800m relay, and was 2nd in the state in the mile, during his senior year of high school.
Alejandro is certified to teach music in New York State, and is excited at the prospect of creating a dynamic music program that supports students in creating the kind of music that they want to together!
Audrey Southern
Social Studies Faculty
I am looking forward to engaging students in a rigorous and meaningful examination of history this year at New Roots. With a background in community organizing and social justice, I am eager to empower the students of New Roots to become active citizens and life-long agents for positive change in their community.
I believe that history provides various lenses through which we can examine our world and forge a deeper understanding of who we are and where we are going. History is made up of infinite story lines and ‘truths’ that illuminate the paths of human experience. By approaching historical study with a focus on concepts, themes and trends across history, as opposed to the memorization of names and dates, the past can suddenly seem much more relevant and applicable to the issues we face on a local, national, and global scale.
I can be spotted around town at the Tuesday Farmer’s Market, Gimme Coffee, or eating at one of my many favorite restaurants. I am an avid reader and committed caregiver to my numerous houseplants. Fall is my favorite season. I am particularly excited for this fall and to get to know more of the New Roots community!
Ms. Southern earned her Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master’s Degree in Adolescent Education in Social Studies at Ithaca College. She is certified to teach Social Studies 7-12 in New York State and Social Studies 4-8 in Texas. She taught American History for two years in Roma, Texas as a Teach for America Corps Member and has additional instructional experience in Houston, New York City, Trumansburg, and Ithaca. Ms. Southern has also worked with teens at a farm camp in Plymouth, Vermont facilitating farm food menus and consensus decision-making group meetings.
"Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world."
— Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed)
Allyn Rosenbaum
Farm to School Coordinator
Allyn was born and raised in Ithaca, NY. Having a teacher for a Mom meant spending lots of time in schools, including at the ever-important fund raising event, the spaghetti dinner. It was at these dinners that Allyn got her first taste of cooking in volume, and the towering piles of spaghetti and vats of tomato sauce started her on a journey that eventually led to New Roots. Allyn is the product of alternative education, having attended East Hill Elementary School, New Junior High Program, and then the Alternative Community School (which later became LACS). She had plenty of opportunities for spaghetti dinners and bake sales, both of which honed her quantity cooking skills.
Allyn's love of growing, cooking, and eating food started early, in the family garden and kitchen, where she spent the spring planting and the fall canning her food. Allyn started working in restaurants early on and has cooked in some of Ithaca's finest: Cabbagetown Café, Café des Amis, The Nines, The Chariot, and Abby's Restaurant. Working for The Portable Feast as a caterer developed her taste for quantity cooking into a profession. Allyn then moved to Gainesville, Florida to work for the Florida School of Massage, setting up and maintaining the kitchen garden and cafeteria for the staff and students of the massage school. She eventually returned to Ithaca to provide nourishment for the Finger Lakes School of Massage through her own catering company, Celebrations Custom Catering. For the past 14 years Allyn has worked at GreenStar Cooperative Market as the Deli Manager, creating a wide variety of dishes concentrating on sustainable, seasonal local food.
Allyn is delighted to have the opportunity to combine so many of her passions in her new role as Farm to School Coordinator (a.k.a. "the lunch lady") at New Roots.
Becca Rodomsky-Bish
Science Faculty Member
In terms of high quality education, New Roots Charter High School embodies the spirit of what I see the world needing right now. I am honored and ecstatic to be joining this group of educators and I look forward to implementing a fresh, inspiring and innovative approach to teaching the youth in our communities. I have personally benefited from a background rich in experiential, interdisciplinary, place-based learning -- in fact, it is the only type of learning that has solidified knowledge for me. Thus, as an educator I focus on making the world come to life for my students by having them be as actively involved in their learning as possible.
My background in science is a layered combination of biology and ecology with a more recent focus on environmental science. I believe strongly that science should be a practical, hands-on discipline that develops a deeper appreciation of the natural and physical world. Thus, I do many labs and field excursions in my teaching in order to connect science to what we see, or often overlook, in what is going on around us every day. As an avid farmer, I have personally engaged in science on a daily basis -- growing, preserving and storing my family's food for the past 3 years now. I continue to learn and experiment with my craft, and this fall I hope to store enough potatoes and carrots to last all through the winter and next spring.
I am also an avid hiker and naturalist who completed the entire Appalachian Trail in 2003 and the John Muir Trail in California in 2005. I believe strongly in spending long quality days outside. If we don't connect to the natural world around us, we are less likely to see the value in protecting and preserving it. I am excited about the community of learners and educators coming together at New Roots and the opportunity to share in a greater understanding of each other and this amazing world we live in.
Becca Rodomsky-Bish has her Master's in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Environmental Education from Antioch University New England, and has completed all requirements for her certification to teach high school biology in New York State. She has background in both biology and anthropology-including a 1.5 year study abroad in Zimbabwe, Africa.
Becca's training in non-formal experiential education includes positions with outdoor environmental education in programs in California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. For the past two years she has worked on sustainability issues personally -- in her quest to grow all her own food -- and professionally as a manager for Ithaca's leading green retail store, home green home, inc., where she educated the community on how to make more mindful consumer choices while living a healthier lifestyle.
Bill Strauss
Math Faculty Member
I couldn't be more excited about having been chosen to teach at New Roots. In my own life, learning has been meaningful when I've seen its purpose, and I believe every student needs to understand how the topics and skills they are learning in school are relevant to their lives and to the needs of their community. As a faculty member at New Roots, I will strive to make this happen as part of a community of educators with a common purpose. During my decade as a math teacher just north of Seattle, I was often frustrated by how institutional constraints prevented me from creating optimal learning conditions for my students.
I grew up in Seattle in the 70s, when the Vietnam War and desegregation were shaping my understanding of the world. It was a time when I became aware that my parents were Holocaust survivors who had fled Germany in late 1938. My formal schooling seemed to have little relevance to what I was learning about the world. To fill the gap between the personal and the academic, I began reading John Steinbeck, Maya Angelou, Malcolm X and other authors who wrote about struggles against injustice and oppression. My background has influenced my understanding of the learning process and has impacted how I create classrooms with opportunities for all students.
The theme of sustainability is an important one in my life. My wife, Dr. Deanna Berman, and I came to Ithaca in 2002 to introduce naturopathic medicine to the Ithaca community, and to make our home in the second neighborhood of EcoVillage. Along with our two daughters, Sarah and
Rachel, we are striving to grow and store more and more of our own food and to live in ways that support the environment.
However, my life is not always about lofty pursuits. I am also passionate about playing basketball
and consider myself the consummate weekend-warrior. I am an excellent father, a supportive husband, and a hard-working teacher, but I secretly yearn to master the art of the turn-around, fade-away jump shot. Ask the people I play with. It's pretty cool when it goes in.
Bill has an undergraduate degree from The Evergreen State College with concentrations in physics, mathematics, and environmental science. He also has a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from Cornell University's Teacher Education in Science and Mathematics program and holds New York State permanent certifications to teach secondary mathematics, chemistry and general science. He has tutored and taught mathematics at the middle school, high school, and college level for over 16 years, ten of which he spent as a middle school math teacher in Edmonds, Washington. Most recently, he taught algebra and developmental mathematics at Tompkins Cortland Community College and, since 2002, has worked with his wife, Dr. Deanna Berman, ND, CM to create and operate a naturopathic medical practice in Ithaca, New York.
"My hope is that New Roots will be a place where I will be encouraged to explore the possibilities of education rather than bump up against its limits - a place where students and teachers work cooperatively to find solutions to the real problems that face our communities, and where mathematics and science are not simply isolated skills to learn, assess, and discard, but are the tools we use to examine and creatively tackle the big problems facing the world." -Bill Strauss
Dan Weiser
Science Faculty Member
I am genuinely excited to be a part of the team at New Roots! I am an energetic educator that believes learning occurs through powerful experiences. As students journey through their academic career, my job is to push them to exceed their expectations, help them when they get stuck, and show them a few cool things along the way. My goal is to help students become independently-minded, active community members. I encourage them to develop their own theories, ask tough questions, and find ways to figure out the answers for themselves.
I attended college in Binghamton, NY, where I studied philosophy and was captain of the debate team. Together, these activities taught me to think deep and think big. Somewhere between rock climbing in New Paltz and debating about reducing fossil fuel consumption, I found myself increasingly aware of and impassioned about the natural world. After college I traveled to South Africa where I taught critical thinking and problem solving skills in Cape Town. While there, I regularly hiked the Table Mountain region and took time to appreciate the dramatic and beautiful landscape. My experiences and observations there inspired me to pursue a degree in environmental studies and science education in New Hampshire, where I have been living for the last two years.
I enjoy living an active life, both mentally and physically. I regularly play ice hockey, rock climb, hike, and bike everywhere. At home you might find me cooking unnecessarily large, but tasty, gluten-free meals, or having long, potentially meaningless philosophical discussions. I am always up for a good adventure or new experience; the most recent of which included working in a small mountain town in Honduras organizing service projects with teenagers out of a newly built community center. I can't wait for my next adventure as I plan to move to Ithaca and become a part of what already appears to be a truly special community.
Dan received his Master's in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire and is certified to teach Secondary Science. His teaching experiences include an internship teaching 9th grade Environmental Science and 10th grade Biology in Greenfield, Massachusetts at an Expeditionary Learning School, hosting food and farming workshops at an organic farm in New Hampshire, and teaching basic problem solving to elementary and middle school aged students in Cape Town, South Africa. He was also a teaching assistant for philosophy courses at Binghamton University.
¨We used to microwave, now we just eat nuts and berries¨ - David Byrne
Daniel Moscoe
Math Faculty Member
Hello, New Roots! I am so excited to be joining the faculty this year as a math teacher. Like the natural world, mathematics has been a vast source of beauty, mystery, and meaning for me. What a gift to be able to share it with students.
I graduated with a degree in agricultural economics from Cornell in 2005. From there, I entered a graduate program in philosophy but ultimately concluded the Ph.D. wasn't for me. After a brief stint in finance, I moved to New York City to complete my master's degree in education. I plan to bring the most interesting pieces of all these experiences to my life as a teacher.
I'm also deeply committed to sustainability in all aspects of my life. To me, progress toward sustainability means learning the causes and effects of my actions. Then I need to use that knowledge to act for the common good rather than only my own. Sustainability means replacing "What's in it for me?" with "What's in it for all of us?"
Some of my hobbies are reading, stargazing, observing insects (especially ants), traveling, learning to cook, hiking, and playing with my dog, Zoey.
Dawn Thurmond
Special Education Coordinator/Teacher
I am ecstatic about joining New Roots Charter School as the Special Education Coordinator and I am greatly looking forward to the upcoming year and making the most of every moment! I have earned three Bachelor's degrees while attending Keuka College from 1997 through 2001: Elementary Education, Special Education, and Psychology. I recently completed my Master's of Education in Educational Administration through Grand Canyon University in Arizona in 2008 as well. I am now permanently certified in Special Education with New York State. I have worked in many different special education settings and a majority of this experience was at the high school level.
I am locally grown, so to speak, born and raised in Spencer, New York. I currently live in Spencer with my husband and our four and a half children - ages 13, 11, 4, 2, and one, the newest and final addition, due in late October. Here's looking to a great start in a new adventure for everyone!
Geoff Hinman
Social Studies Faculty Member
I am excited to return for my second year with the New Roots community. Last year was a lot of hard work and I am excited to build upon our achievements. There was a lot of shared growth and I expect that to continue as we move ahead with our mission.
Growing up, my father's job brought us to many interesting places. I was born in Caracas and subsequently lived in Madrid, Tokyo and an exotic land called New Jersey. I was exposed to many opinions and cultural perspectives that helped shaped an intellectual curiosity and an appreciation for learning. The world has a lot to offer and I have never had the sense that education was confined to the classroom. I look forward to working with students at New Roots to enhance our collective appreciation for learning inside and outside the classroom and to make sure that our learning extends beyond what we do at New Roots.
I originally went into the teaching world to promote good global citizenship. I now find my passion for teaching goes beyond just creating informed citizens. My goal is to work with students to become empowered citizens for change. I look forward to continue this challenge here at New Roots.
Geoff earned his Bachelor's degree in International Relations at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He earned his Master's degree in Education from San Francisco State University where he also earned a teaching credential in Social Studies. He taught in the Bay Area before moving to Italy where he spent the last two years teaching at the American Overseas School of Rome. He is certified to teach high school social studies in New York State.
Jaclyn Camidge
Math Faculty Member
I am so excited to join New Roots Charter School this year with such awesome students and staff! I will do everything I can to make math fun and show students where real life and sustainability come in.
I grew up on an island shaped like a pork chop in the middle of the Niagara River called Grand Island. If you’ve ever driven to Niagara Falls, you’ve probably crossed over it. If you haven’t, you should. Not to see Grand Island (the only thing there is a run-down theme park and Billy Fuccillo’s HUUUGGEEE car dealerships) but to see Niagara Falls. It’s super cool!!
I graduated from Buffalo State College in 2005 with my Bachelor’s degree in Childhood & Mathematics Education. I moved to Rochester and began teaching at an Expeditionary Learning school as a 7th and 8th grade math teacher. After completing my first year of teaching, I went back to school part-time to begin working on my Master’s degree. I received my Master’s of Library Science in 2008. I may be a math teacher but I love to read!
I got married in July 2010 and moved to Elmira. I live with my husband, Jeremy, and the loves of my life, Sophie and Eric (my cats!). Now here I am at New Roots and I’m so happy to be here!
Jayson Rome
Math Faculty Member; Technology Educator
I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the founding of New Roots and grateful to think that in the role of mathematics teacher and technology educator I may be able to give something back to the community. In my teaching I like to take an approach guided by Arthur C. Clarke's Third Law, which states that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," and I offer a corollary to the Third Law which states that "any sufficiently obfuscated mathematics is indistinguishable from gibberish." I firmly believe that mathematics is much more difficult to learn and understand without context, be it historical, social, political or physical. Thus my approach is to first seek to understand the context and then to approach the math, all the while trying to demystify, clarify and simplify. I encourage students to question everything, to "avoid ambiguity and adopt clarity." Many students have a certain level of anxiety in terms of mathematics and technology that can feel very isolating. One of the things that I would like to try to do with students at New Roots is to get to the source of that anxiety and address it early on. As a class we are a whole, and as a whole we will work together, learn together and grow together. Once we can reduce our collective anxiety we can allow for the element of play, and once we are in a playful mood, learning becomes joyful.
Jayson Rome studied biomedical and electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, computer science at The City University of New York, and Technology in Education at Harvard University. He has taught computer programming at Baruch College, served as Technology Director for Project Stretch, an out-of-school-time program designed to encourage technological literacy, and was an MIT Computer Clubhouse Mentor and proud member of the Young Activists Network. Jayson has also done academic research in biomedicine, computer vision and statistical pattern recognition, and has served as a quantitative analyst for a major ratings agency.
These days Jayson is a self confessed Luddite who tries everyday to balance his appreciation of the seeming magic of technology, the beauty of mathematics and the mystery of science with his understanding of their hazards, problems and potential for misuse. Jayson, along with his wife and two children, came to Ithaca in search of quality of life centered on reason, balanced with nature and supported by community. He is an avid game player and doesn't believe in learning without an element of play. His interests include organic gardening, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, digital video and audio production and game design.
Louis McDonald
Physical Education Instructor and Athletic Director
My role as a physical education instructor and director of athletics taps into my strengths and passions as both a teacher and as an athlete, providing me with an opportunity to work my magic with each and every student at New Roots.
Over the past ten years I have been a teacher at the elementary, middle, high school, and at the college level. The common thread in my work has been my interest in knowing my students well, and using their strengths and interests to bring out their very best. Learning to dig deep and work hard to bring out the best was essential to my career as an athlete in track and field. While I was a student at George Mason University (1992-1997), I was a member of the 1996 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship team. I am also a three time All American Athlete. I have brought the same focus and commitment to excellence in honing my skills as a teacher. My educational training started out with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, and a Master of Science in Secondary Education in a program that emphasized learning to teach in ways that support all students. I have also successfully completed 27 credits towards a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. I have completed many multicultural trainings, and have worked extensively with at-risk adults and youths.
My teaching philosophy is rather unique for a public school educator, but I have found my philosophical home at New Roots. I listen to my students and I get to know each and everyone of them. I listen with a special ear because during any regular conversation, you can pick up pointers that can help you to communicate effectively with that particular student. Each student comes with their own set of individual traits. It is up to you the teacher to learn the uniqueness of that student and use the information to effectively facilitate learning for that student. There is a sense of relevance and sensitivity in all of my lessons.
My current hobbies are heavily rooted in sports. I play basketball on Saturdays at the Henry St. John Center in downtown Ithaca, and I am an accomplished cyclist. I am a member of GP Sports Cycling & Fitness and I frequently go riding with members of the Finger Lakes Cycling Club on Wednesdays and Sundays. I can also be seen running on the trail along Hudson/Coddington Road. Soon you'll see me running the trails with New Roots students!
Peter McWain
Academic Advisor, Honors Program Coordinator
Roland Nipps
English Faculty Member
I am fortunate to become one of New Roots’ newest staff members. While any educational effort merits commendation, New Roots, with its visionary ambition to prepare students for 21st century challenges, warrants special notice. To use some current language in our popular culture: if the world is at a tipping point, then New Roots has positioned itself to play a role in helping choose our new direction. How much more exciting could that be for an educator?
I come to New Roots with 14 years of teaching Language Arts. I began teaching in Rhode Island in 1996, moved on to teaching at two universities in China and at a prep school in Hawaii before landing in Ithaca one year ago. Last year I taught writing at Tompkins Cortland Community College and English part-time at Ithaca High School. I have taught Language Arts to a range of students from a variety of backgrounds, who have, in turn, instructed me that learning is a subtle act, one that requires matching correct learning styles to each particular student. Because New Roots embraces creative teaching to meet the needs of each student, I couldn’t have found a better opportunity at this point in my career.
Before teaching, I was a newspaper reporter and editor. Before that a cook and chef. Today, I still write and cook, but pursue other interests as well: acoustic blues guitar, ukulele, surfing (Rhode Island has some nice breaks) and, of course, reading.
Roland Nipps earned a B.A. at SUNY Albany in English and both his M.A. in English Literature and Teaching Secondary English degree at the University of Rhode Island. He holds a Secondary English Teaching Certificate for grades 5-12, and obtained an A.O.S. Degree from the Culinary Institute of America.
Sarah Rubenstein-Gillis
Director, Community Programs
I will make it a top priority to get to know each student, and to support and encourage them to discover and explore their passions, interests and strengths, seeing themselves and each other as important members of our school, and local and global communities. I am excited about the ways in which New Roots Charter School will contribute to the educational quality and diversity of this community, and will inspire and prepare young people to face the formidable challenges of our times.
Sarah grew up in the rural Catskills/Hudson Valley area and has lived in the Ithaca area since 1995. She came to New Roots from the Ithaca College Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education where she taught courses in Human Sexuality, Stress Management, and Wellness: Multicultural Perspectives on Health and Healing. She has worked as a community health educator, counselor, and advocate for healthy parenting/child development and prevention of HIV/AIDS and family/intimate partner violence. Sarah has been a committed part of many community boards and organizations including the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County. A Fulbright Scholar to south India, Sarah taught for four years in the Ithaca College Sociology Department and as a trainer for Prevent Child Abuse New York provided staff development for home visitors in the Healthy Families Program. Sarah earned a Bachelor's degree in Community Studies (the study of social change and community organizing) from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a Master's in Social Work and Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies from Syracuse University. A New York State (NYS) licensed Social Worker (LMSW), she also holds a NYS Administrative Certificate in Pupil Personnel Services - Social Work.
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
Mohandes K. Gandhi
Sue Schwartz
English Faculty Member
I grew up in Ithaca, New York and have spent my professional life working with youth in Ithaca and the surrounding areas. As a teen, I was committed to improving the Ithaca community and was deeply influenced by the years I spent volunteering at Loaves and Fishes, a local soup kitchen. I was also an avid reader and creative writer who looked to literature and creative writing as tools for self-exploration, a practice that I have carried on throughout my adult life. Upon graduating from Ithaca High School, my desire to understand the broader issues of social justice and globalization led me to spend five months volunteering as an English teacher in Nepal, one year studying international development in Zimbabwe, and then to earn my bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at Bard College. When I returned to Ithaca, I spent the next nine years helping local teens explore their passions and improve their community by arranging career internships and organizing service learning programs at a not-for-profit youth organization called The Learning Web. My love of literature and writing, my enthusiasm for providing young people with hands-on community-based learning opportunities and my devotion to helping young people succeed inspired me to become an English Language Arts teacher. I earned my Master of Arts in Teaching Adolescents degree at Ithaca College.
As an English Language Arts teacher, my goal is to help students become masterful writers, readers, and critical thinkers so that they can lead lives of personal fulfillment and become effective and engaged citizens in our world. I have always felt that reading literature and writing are not merely solo events; both provide us with the means to grow as individuals and allow us to participate in community life. I am thrilled that New Roots combines academic scholarship with hands-on community-based learning, and I look forward to helping our students use reading and writing to better understand themselves and their experiences serving and exploring in our greater community. I am also excited by New Roots’ interdisciplinary approach, which will allow students to regularly draw connections between literature, their knowledge of other disciplines and their personal values. Finally, I am delighted to share in the school’s mission of educating students for a sustainable future.
Tanya Kingsley
Foreign Language Faculty Member
I believe that we are at a turning point in human development where creative thinking and compassionate action are essential in creating new ways of relating to ourselves, others and the planet as a whole. The educational principles of New Roots Charter School--Sustainability Education--will guide the students to embrace their actions with responsibility and to recognize the impact of such actions individually and collectively. I am interested in developing my work with the three primary goals of the sustainability movement: economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. I feel excited about the potential of teaching Spanish to teenagers through cultural exchanges and establishing relationships with other communities working towards sustainable development.
I love teaching because I consider it a gift to see each student unfold their own potential, and I delight in supporting their growth and transformation. Teaching Spanish gives me the opportunity to share my own enthusiasm for my language and culture. I believe that my enthusiasm and love for teaching will encourage in my students a love and enthusiasm for learning.
Tanya grew up in México and graduated from the Centro Nacional de Danza Contemporánea in Querétaro, México with a Bachelor's degree in modern dance, stage lighting, and scenography. During this time she also danced professionally with the Ballet Nacional de México. She moved to New York in the late 1990s and taught yoga in the Catskills. Since 2007, she has been in the Ithaca area teaching yoga and Spanish to people of many ages and backgrounds. Tanya is currently in training as a Waldorf Teacher with the Centro Antroposófico de México. She is also a part-time faculty member at the Ithaca Waldorf School.
Todd Ayoung
Artist in Residence
Todd Ayoung is a multi-media/medium visual artist who specializes in two- and three-dimensional design. At the art school Pratt Institute in NYC, he has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Foundation Art for over 5 years. Todd in the past has taught Art History, Critical Theory and Studio Art, at New York University, University of New Haven, Rochester University, Cooper Union and Lafayette College.
He has exhibited in Europe, Latin America, and throughout the U.S. Todd received his M.F.A. from Yale University in sculpture, and did post graduate work at the Whitney Museum of American Art's Independent Study Program in critical theory and studio art. Todd sees his role at New Roots as facilitating students' development of visual literacy and helping them decipher, and ultimately contribute to, the larger notion of what constitutes visual culture.
This understanding will guide the students to an engaged understanding of how we perceive ourselves, others, and the environment, with the goal of a social justice and ecological approach to visual perception.
Staff
Tina Nilsen-Hodges
Founder and Principal
Since 1989, Tina Nilsen-Hodges has been a teacher and curriculum developer for New York State schools and for innovative educational programs for democracy, social justice and sustainability education. Her students have ranged from first graders at the Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca, to first-generation college students from New York City who speak English as a second language and are enrolled in Binghamton University's Educational Opportunity Program.
Most recently, Tina has taught sustainability education courses at Ithaca College, and is part of the leadership team for Partnerships in Sustainability Education, a joint venture between Ithaca College and EcoVillage at Ithaca. She is one of the founders of Teachers for a Sustainable Future, a learning circle for teachers, and has facilitated workshops in sustainability education at both the K-12 and college levels locally. Tina also has extensive experience as a community and educational leader at EcoVillage at Ithaca (EVI), where she is involved in the planning for the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education and the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.
In the Fall of 2007, Tina was an administrative intern at Lehman Alternative Community School in Ithaca. She completed her New York State School Building Leader certification requirements at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She holds Master's degrees in Teaching ('92) and English ('91), both from Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, and permanent New York State certification as a pre-K to grade 12 teacher.
Tina lives in EcoVillage at Ithaca with her husband, Jim Hodges, Middle School Lead Teacher at the Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School, their two sons, Aidan (13) and Niall (10), and a lovely flock of chickens.
Rudy Blackman
Dean of Students
Rudy Blackman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Binghamton University in 1991. He completed his Master of Science in Education from the School of Education and Human Development at Binghamton University in 1993, and is certified to teach K-12 students in New York State. He is currently completing the requirements for his school building leader credentials through Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Mr. Blackman emigrated from Panama in 1977, along with his grandmother, brother and cousin. He completed his public school education in the New York City Public School system before attending Binghamton University. For the last 13 years he has been a dual language/bilingual teacher at Seymour Dual Language Academy, an inner city school on the west side of Syracuse, New York. In addition, he has worked with youth and adults in the Onondaga County Justice Center as an ESL and Life Management instructor, and as a community outreach liaison for the migrant farmers outreach program through the Onondaga County Department of Health. He has recently moved to Binghamton with his wife and two sons.
Sabrina Johnston
Business Manager
Michelle Wright
School Secretary
Michelle was born and raised in Hector, New York right next to the Finger Lakes National Forest. She is a graduate of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University and majored in Agriculture Science Education and Environmental Engineering Technology. She gained administrative experience working with several non-profit organizations in college and directly after college. Her educational experiences include volunteering in local classrooms and teaching outdoor education classes at a state park in North Dakota and an Environmental Education Center in Mississippi. Working on the administrative team at New Roots has meant that she remains in touch with her goals of being a part of progressive public education change as well as working with young adults.
CaSandra Carter
Assistant to the Principal
Board of Trustees
Jason Hamilton
Chair, Board of Trustees
Dr. Jason Hamilton is an Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Ithaca College. He received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and a Ph.D. in plant ecology from U.C. Santa Barbara, and did post-doctoral research in ecophysiology and global change biology at the University of Illinois before joining the faculty at Ithaca College in 2001.
Jason is faculty manager of the Ithaca College Natural Lands, and co-founder of the Ithaca College Faculty and Staff for Sustainability. He has given countless presentations about global warming at colleges and universities nationally, and serves on the American College & University President's Climate Commitment Implementation Committee at Ithaca College. Jason is an advisory board member of the Ithaca Wilderness Mentoring Guild. Faculty curator of the college's living arthropod collection, Jason visits local schools with tarantulas and other crawling creatures to introduce young people to the world of insects.
Peter W. Bardaglio
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Dr. Peter W. Bardaglio is a senior fellow at Second Nature, a non-profit organization working to help colleges and universities expand their efforts to make environmentally sustainable and just action a foundation of learning and practice.
Peter served as the provost and vice president of academic affairs from 2002 to 2007 at Ithaca College, where he also held an appointment as professor of history.
Before joining Ithaca, Dr. Bardaglio was professor of history and interim vice president and academic dean at Goucher College. As a member of the Goucher faculty from 1983 to 2002, he received several teaching awards, including the Outstanding Faculty Award in 1994 and Outstanding Educator of the Year from the Maryland Association of Higher Education in 1998. He served as the Elizabeth Conolly Todd Distinguished Professor from 1995 to 2000.
A Jessie Ball duPont Fellow at the National Humanities Center in 1999-2000, Peter has also taught at the University of Maryland at College Park and University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. His numerous publications, conference papers, and invited lectures cover a wide range of topics, including campus sustainability, the 19th-century American South, family public policy, liberal education, and professional identity among 21st century faculty. He was awarded the 1996 James Rawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians for the best book published on the history of race relations in the United States.
Peter serves on the Senior Council of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and the Sustainability Advice and Review Panel of the Society for College and University Planning, and is a member of the editorial board of Sustainability: Research and Practices.
He received his doctoral and master's degrees in history from Stanford University and his bachelor's degree in history and English from Brown University.
Granger Macy
Treasurer, Board of Trustees
Dr. Granger Macy is an Associate Professor of Management at Ithaca College. He received his Ph.D. in Business Strategy from Indiana University in 1990. He also holds two Master's degrees in Quantitative Systems and Business Administration from Arizona State University. He had previously worked as Human Resources Manager for Valley National Bank in Arizona.
Granger has published extensively on small business planning. His publication record also extends into leadership, non-profit leadership, sustainability, teamwork, organization development, and pedagogy. Since coming to Ithaca College he has taught Master's of Business Administration courses in Industry Analysis, Entrepreneurship, and Organization Management; and undergraduate courses in Leadership, Power and Conflict, and Strategic Management. He has also taught a Freshman Honors Course in Business.
In service at the school, Granger was chair of the first program assessment committee created in the business school in order to develop the assessment program needed for AACSB accreditation. He also helped to develop a proposed curriculum for an integrative, experiential honors program at Ithaca College. For the past two years, Granger has served as education track chair at the Institute for Behavioral and Applied Management.
Granger is a founding board member and the current treasurer for Ithaca Carshare, a non-profit organization in partnership with the City of Ithaca, Cornell University, and Ithaca College. He was instrumental in creating the business plan for guiding the development of the organization and helped develop a successful grant application to NYSERDA to initiate operations.
Granger also serves as a board member and investment committee chair for Rowe Camp and Conference Center in Rowe, Massachusetts. Previously, he worked with numerous other non-profit agencies in either board or consultative roles and served as treasurer for the Central Missouri Food Bank.
Jen Bokaer-Smith
Board of Trustees
Jen Bokaer-Smith is the Assistant Director of Cornell University's Learning Strategies Center. She received a B.achelor of Science degree from U.C. Berkeley in Natural Resources, and a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from Cornell University. She continued for several years as a National Institutes of Health trainee before leaving research to teach. She is especially interested in issues of content area literacy and sustainability education, and has developed a sustainable agriculture education program at her family's farm. Jen has taught the Learning Strategies Center's Critical Reading and Thinking course, managed the LSC Reading Lab, and provided individual study strategy support to students. Jen assists the Director with the overall management of the Learning Strategies Center: she coordinates the LSC Tutoring Program and the LSC Winter and Summer Session Scholarships, and contributes to planning and evaluation of the Prefreshman Summer Program.
Jen also taught science at Ithaca High School from 2000-2006.
Synnøve Heggoy
Board of Trustees
Dr. Synnove Heggoy is a transplanted Norwegian, who spent a little over thirty years in Georgia, before moving to Ithaca in April 2008 to be near family. Synnøve is quite taken with Ithaca's natural beauty, although long, cold winters are not so charming -- adjusting to northern weather again will take some time.
Dr. Heggoy served as Professor of Special Education at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, where she taught for 19 years in her area of specialty, Learning Disabilities (LD) and Gifted LD. Her career spanned three decades, during which she worked as a teacher of students with learning disabilities in elementary, middle, and high school, as well as in college. She taught undergraduates and graduates at the University of Georgia before moving to Georgia Southern University. At Georgia Southern, she spent ten years as Founding Director of one of three Regents Centers for Learning Disabilities (RCLD) in the state, dedicated to assessing college students with possible LD or attention deficit disorders (AD/DHD) and assisting Disabilities Service Providers at their home institutions in developing appropriate strategies. During her years of service, she taught and supervised teachers, conducted in-service programs, presented papers and invited lectures and at state, national and international conferences. She was bestowed the title of Professor Emerita when she retired from Georgia Southern in 2003. One of Synnøve's treasured awards came from the LD Adults of Georgia (LDAG), who presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation in 2001.
On a personal level, Dr. Heggoy has enjoyed and benefited from living in many different cultures, and on different continents, from North Africa to Europe --France, Norway, and Sweden -- and as an exchange student in Japan for her college Junior Year Abroad. She is strongly committed to the notion that intercultural exchanges are as vital and necessary to the welfare of the peoples of the world as the practice of environmental sustainability is to the welfare of the world. She has been a Master Gardener in two states, and enjoys playing in her small garden at home.
She received her undergraduate degree in English and French from Vanderbilt University, and her Master's and Ph.D. in Learning Disabilities/Special Education from the University of Georgia.
Karl Madeo
Board of Trustees
Karl Madeo is the Director of the CollegeNow Program at Tompkins Cortland Community College where he works with high schools in central New York on a variety of partnerships including concurrent enrollment classes, Tech Prep, and online courses for high school students. He joined TC3 after teaching English, social studies, and video production for over 20 years at the Lehman Alternative Community School in Ithaca, where he also served as curriculum coordinator for the English department.
In recent years Karl has also worked as a technology specialist for the media literacy work done by Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College. He was a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar participant at Yale University, and has been a presenter at regional and national conferences, including those sponsored by Project Look Sharp, the Alliance for a Media Literate America and The Annenberg Institute for School Reform. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Village at Ithaca, and on the Operating Committee for Access to College Education (A.C.E.). Karl has Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees in English from Binghamton University.
Conrad Metcalfe
Board of Trustees
Conrad Metcalfe is the VP of Operations and Training for Performance Systems Development - a consulting company that designs and implements energy efficiency programs nationwide. Conrad is a certified Building Analyst with 15 years of hands-on training development success in a wide variety of industries. He has extensive curriculum development experience and has created and managed classroom, computer-based training and asynchronous distance learning programs. He has designed and facilitated technical training for network engineers at Cisco Systems. He has created multi-level certification programs for a major manufacturer. In conjunction with a major healthcare company, he rolled-out a comprehensive distance learning program for physicians nationwide. He recently managed the development of curriculum for the California Energy Commission-funded "energy audit protocol" development project.
Conrad is a driving force behind the Climate Change Action Group of central New York. He is working with like-minded organizations around the country to encourage municipalities to adopt carbon mitigation resolutions, and to enact strategies that promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon. Before moving to Ithaca NY, Conrad lived in an old-order Amish community for 15 years, and developed his own solar and wind-powered systems.
Roger Richardson
Board of Trustees
Dr. Roger G. Richardson has worked in higher education for thirty-three years.