The Lawrenceville Schools searches near and far to find the very best educators for its students. This year, the School is pleased to welcome experts in the arts, English, history, languages, mathematics, and science. They each bring unique and valuable experiences in the classroom, performance stage, playing fields and so much more to campus.
Hugo A. Caraballo, Jr., Language Department
Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT.): Master of Arts in Spanish
Colby College (Waterville, ME.): Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Latin American Studies
Hugo Caraballo joins Lawrenceville from Charlotte Latin School (CLS) (Charlotte, N.C.), where he taught Spanish, served as a faculty mentor, and advised CLS's Student Diversity Club. Caraballo played a pivotal role in the school's DEI efforts through his positions as Upper School Diversity Coordinator and a member of the School's DEI Strategic Committee. He also designed and implemented a new Spanish IV Honors curriculum grounded in principles of social justice. Before his work at CLS, Caraballo served as a Spanish teacher and dorm parent at Milton Academy (Milton, MA), and The Fessenden School (Waltham, MA). He has also led student exchange programs in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and Spain.
Ishan Django Edward Dirks, English Department
King’s College (London, U.K.): Master of Science in Public Policy and Management
Columbia University, Columbia College, (New York, NY): Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature
Ishan Django Edward Dirks served most recently as an English teacher and Deputy Housemaster at Radley College (Oxfordshire, U.K.) where he had a Cook Fellowship. He has extensive rowing experience, competing for both Hobart College and Columbia University, Division I Men’s Heavyweight and Lightweight teams, respectively. Dirks was also a member of the University of London Boat Club Second Varsity eight. He has coaxed the sport at Row New York, The Hewitt School, and TopRow, Inc.
Aly Dowey, Science Department
University of Leeds (Leeds, England): Master of Science in Food Science
Bates College (Lewiston, ME): Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
Aly Dowey comes to Lawrenceville from Iona University (New Rochelle, NY) where she was an adjunct chemistry professor. In addition to teaching, Aly has five years experience as a division one college lacrosse coach and a year experience as a member of staff with the Welsh National Lacrosse Team. Prior to that, she taught chemistry at Blair Academy (Blairstown, NJ) where she taught analytical chemistry and general chemistry. She also served as head coach for the girls’ varsity lacrosse team and was an assistant housemaster.
Vanessa Giannikas, Science Department
University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia): Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia): Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Physiology, Genetics
Vanessa Giannikas joins The Lawrenceville School faculty from The Hill School (Pottstown, PA). During her tenure at Hill, she taught AP Biology, Anatomy & Physiology and supervised costume prep for the theater program. Prior to her work at Hill, Giannikis was a biology teacher and Head of Nutrition at Wellington College (Crowthorne, Berkshire UK).
Jared Goldenberg ‘10, Performing Arts Department
High Point University (High Point, N.C).: Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis on performance and technical theatre
Jared Goldenberg, a member of The Lawrenceville School Class of 2010, returns to campus as Technical Director of the Kirby Arts Center. Goldenberg has worked behind the scenes in professional theater since graduating from High Point in an array of technical positions, for companies including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, the Blue Man Group, Busch Gardens, and more. His most recent job was with Barbizon Lighting Company, where his duties included designing and quoting lighting systems for schools, theaters, houses of worship, museums and other venues that required theatrical and architectural lighting.
Karen Hinkley, Science Department
University of Washington (Seattle, WA), Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering
Washington State University (Pullman, WA), Master’s in Chemistry
University of Washington, (Seattle, WA), Bachelor of Science in Biology/Zoology
Karen Hinkley comes to Lawrenceville from the Roxbury (NY) Central School District, where she taught regents chemistry, living environment, and earth science. Prior to that, she was the director of the aviation/science department at Oxbridge Academy of Palm Beaches (West Palm Beach, FL).
Hinkely has also taught science at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (Bellevue, WA), and Issaquah High School (Issaquah, NY). She has received numerous awards for her work including the ASM Distinguished Teacher of the Year and has presented her research both in the U.S. and abroad.
John Martin McMillan, History Department
West Virginia University: Ph.D. Candidate in History
Marshall University: Master of Arts in History
Mississippi State University: Master of Science in Sports Administration
Mississippi State University: Bachelor of Business Administration
John Martin McMillan will be a familiar face on Lawrenceville’s campus. Last year, he was an assistant football coach, in charge of the Big Red offensive line. As a graduate teaching instructor at West Virginia University, McMillan instructed undergraduate classes on United States and military history while researching nineteenth-century America for his dissertation. He served as a graduate assistant in the history department at Marshall University, where he presented classroom lectures and worked in the department. An Eagle Scout, McMillan was a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll football player while competing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
W. Parker Nelson, English Department
Bates College (Lewiston, ME): Bachelor of Arts in English, minor in German
Parker Nelson, who comes to Lawrenceville from The Hun School of Princeton, was a 2017-18 Fulbright Scholar in Munich, Germany, where he was an English teacher. During his Hun tenure, Nelson taught English and was also a student advisor, dorm parent, and head coach of the School’s rowing program. He began his teaching career at Culver Academies (Culver, IN) as a Teaching Fellow, where he was an associate instructor teaching political economics, expository writing, and humanities. Nelson was also the head coach of the boys’ novice rowing team.
Jesse R. Oberst ‘00, Mathematics Department
University of Oxford, Saїd Business School (Oxford, England): Master’s of Business Administration
Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
Jesse R. Oberst, a member of The Lawrenceville School Class of 2000, comes to Lawrenceville from National Mathematics and Physics, SCITT (High Wycombe, U.K.), where he has been teaching high school mathematics while completing his post-graduate certificate in education. He was previously a teacher, coach, and advisor at Rugby School (Rugby, U.K.) where, in addition to teaching and coaching, served as a faculty member on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership team and the Student Leadership Initiative Program. Oberst was a coxswain for the crew teams at Lawrenceville, Oxford, and Harvard, where he is a member of the Harvard Athletic Hall of Fame.
Will Porter, English Department
Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT): Master of Arts in English
Cornell University (Ithaca, NY): Bachelor of Arts in English
Will Porter joins The Lawrenceville School faculty from St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, DE). During his tenure, he served as an English teacher, academic advisor, college counselor, dorm head, a member of the athletic director search committee, and leader of the student writing center. He oversaw English Department curriculum overhauls for ninth and eleventh-grade students. Porter was also the head coach of the boys’ rowing team and an assistant boys’ cross-country coach. Prior to his work at St. Andrew’s, Porter was an English teacher at St. Mark’s School (Southborough, MA) and The Hun School.
Wendy Rosen, Language Department
Monterey Institute of International Studies (Monterey, CA): Master of Business Administration
SUNY Albany (Albany, NY): Bachelor of Arts in French
Wendy Rosen joins the Language Department as a part-time French teacher. Previously Rosen taught at Solebury School (Solebury, PA) and Chapin School (Princeton, N.J.) where she taught at all levels including Advanced Placement French. At the Princeton Review (New York City), Rosen wrote and edited instructional materials for SAT French, SAT, GRE and other subject-specific standardized tests.
Zihao Zhao, Mathematics Department
Brown University (Providence, RI): Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Math Education
New York University (New York City, NY): Master of Science in Data Science
New York University (Shanghai, China): Bachelor of Science in Honors Mathematics, minor in Computer Science
While completing her master’s degree in teaching/secondary math education at Brown, Zihao Zhao developed and co-taught a three-week long “math around the world” class at Brown Summer High School (Providence, RI). She was also a student teacher at Hope High School (Providence, RI). In Beijing, Zhao was a software test engineer at the State Information Software Testing Center.
Tomorrow, we’ll introduce the 2024-45 University of Pennsylvania Independent School Teaching Residency Fellows.
For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.
