Menlo News September 02, 2021

Meet Menlo’s Newest Faculty Members!

You’ll see some new faces around campus this year, and we’re excited for you to get to know them. They’ve come from far and near to join the Menlo community, and we’re thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of educators.

 

Middle School New Faculty

This fall we warmly welcome back Denise Dowsett, Eighth Grade Science, who returns to Menlo after her previous stint as a Conceptual Physics teacher in the Upper School. A longtime resident of Menlo Park, Denise originally immigrated to the United States from Singapore. She enjoyed participating in the SF Exploratorium’s Summer Institute for teachers, working on inquiry-based approaches to learning, which she looks forward to using to connect with her students through hands-on experimentation. Denise has two children, the second of whom just left for college: “I am officially an empty nester,” she shares. She loves nature, walks, and jigsaw puzzles, and is currently hooked on Louise Penny’s murder mysteries. 

Brian Buttacavoli, Eighth Grade English, received his bachelor’s degree in communication from California State University San Marcos, followed by his master’s degree in urban education from Loyola Marymount University. He went on to participate in Teach for America as both a corps member and as the director of teacher leadership development. Brian also served as an English teacher at Making Waves Academy, where he founded the school’s first student journalism program. 

Lexi Viernes, Middle School Dance, is a bicoastal dancer, choreographer, and teacher, with experience spanning from performing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Billy Elliot on the second national tour, and freelancing with dance companies in Los Angeles and New York City. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her partner, vinyasa yoga, and daily coastal walks with her parents and dog. 

Upper School New Faculty

Sabahat Adil, Upper School History, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago with a strong desire to learn more about her family’s journey to the United States, a story that connects the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, and the North Atlantic coast of South America. Inspired by her AP US History teacher, she pursued her interests at the University of Chicago, studying anthropology and South Asian languages and civilizations. In the course of her academic career, she traveled widely and lived in Spain, Morocco, and Turkey. As a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she developed courses and seminars on Mediterranean and Islamic history and classical Arabic literature. Most recently, she taught at Bentley School in Lafayette. She enjoys exploring the terrain of the Bay Area with her husband and train-obsessed toddler as well as experimenting with both savory and sweet dishes in the kitchen. She shares, “I have fallen in love with teaching at independent schools and being a part of communities of inspiring and passionate students ready to engage with an ever-changing world.”

Patti Frias, Upper School World Languages (Spanish), a Bay Area native, was studying veterinary science at North Carolina State University when she found herself enjoying tutoring college students in Spanish. Having found her calling, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature and went on to teach at a magnet/IB school in Raleigh, then at a charter school in Redwood City. While serving as an Assistant Principal at San Mateo High School, she obtained her master’s degree in administration. In her free time, she enjoys visiting family in Mexico and spending time with her husband and two sons (one of whom is also a Menlo teacher.) Her favorite activity is playing with her five dogs in the family’s cow pastures and riding one of her three horses to see the views over Half Moon Bay. 

Reeve Garrett, Upper School Mathematics, was born and raised in Orange County before receiving a bachelor’s degree from UC Riverside and a master’s degree from the Ohio State University, both in mathematics. His interest in mathematics began at a young age, and led him to discover the tremendous joy that teaching brings him; at OSU, he also earned the Phil Huneke Excellence in Teaching Award. Outside of school, he voraciously consumes music from a variety of genres and enjoys playing guitar, violin, and mandolin, as well as exploring nature, visiting art galleries and museums, attending concerts, playing video games, and reading. He says, “I feel that I have hit the lottery joining the Menlo School faculty, and I am thrilled to be teaching the wonderful students here at Menlo.” 

Amanda Kyed, Upper School Photography and Animation, received her bachelor’s degree from American University and her master’s from Emerson College. While working as a technology specialist at her former high school, she discovered her love for teaching and for assisting both students and teachers with technology. During her seven years at the Windward School in Los Angeles, she taught and built the curriculum for classes in media arts, film, animation, and sound design. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and exploring her new home in the Bay Area. She says, “I believe that photography and animation are at the intersection of art and technology. I have spent my career in either art, technology, or creating opportunities to blend both.” 

Nandhini Namasivayam, Upper School Computer Science, previously worked as a software engineer at Microsoft and C3.AI and shares, “With these experiences in hand, I hope to introduce students to the various fields and industries related to computer science and help them identify just what role it has to play in their lives and future careers.” Nandhini received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science at the University of Southern California. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the landscapes of the Bay Area by walking, hiking, or driving, and she is always looking for recommendations for new TV shows, movies, or recipes to try. 

Ivonne Rodriguez Rondon, Upper School World Languages (Spanish), hails from the Canary Islands of Spain: “the beautiful land after which those cute little birds are named,” she shares. She received a bachelor’s degree in translation and interpretation followed by a master’s in teaching Spanish as a foreign language. Ivonne has enjoyed living in the U.S. since 2014, with a stint in Arizona before the ocean began calling and drew her to California. She enjoys travel, arts and crafts, and scrapbooking. Ivonne says, “I am excited to share my language and culture with our students…I love learning about other cultures, how they influence the way people view the world, and the languages they speak.” 

Christine Walters, Upper School Mathematics, grew up on the East Coast and received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering from Tufts University. During her ten years spent designing hardware CPUs and FPUs, she also began teaching and tutoring mathematics, discovering her desire to do so full time. In her recent work at Pinewood School, she enjoyed lots of professional development and serving as the head of the mathematics department. In her spare time, she enjoys camping with her husband and dogs, working out at the YMCA, reading, and riding her motorcycle. 

Andrew Warren, Upper School English, joins us after more than a decade in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was an assistant and then associate professor of English at Harvard University. He received his PhD in English at UC Irvine while enjoying life in Los Angeles and the beaches of Laguna. Most recently, he was an English teacher at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. Andrew grew up near Cleveland and went on to live in Edinburgh, Cork, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Taipei. Outside the classroom, he enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and writing, and is usually halfway through reading six different books. He shares, “For me, the classroom is a place where we can open ourselves up to new ideas and perspectives as we try to figure out who we are and want to become.” 

Elizabeth Young, Upper School Mathematics and Science, earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy from Smith College and mechanical engineering from Dartmouth College before earning her PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton University. During her years as an Assistant Professor in Physics at Rhodes College and Santa Clara University, her research found her designing and building novel optics as well as creating algorithms for some of the world’s largest telescopes to search for exoplanets. In her spare time, she enjoys playing oboe in her community orchestra and woodwinds and trumpet in various bands, as well as traveling the world with her husband and two young children. She shares, “I can’t wait to share some cool math-physics-astronomy-engineering tools with my students!”

New Student Life Staff

Dorelia Arias, Front Desk Receptionist, previously served as a Customer Service Coordinator at Sage Centers, a veterinary hospital in Redwood City, where she enjoyed comforting clients, building relationships with them, and making new furry friends every day. She shares that she and her family are big sports fans, and that she grew up playing sports, including basketball and volleyball, alongside her older brothers, who encouraged her competitive side. These days, Dorelia stays active running around with her two human children and her rescue Shih Tzu, Marley. She shares, “I am so excited to be a part of this community!”

Miriam Magaña, Director of Family Support, grew up in Michoacán, Mexico, before coming to East Palo Alto in 2001. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a minor in Spanish, from Bryn Mawr College. She shares, “As one of the first people in my family to graduate from high school and go to college, my college graduation was a monumental accomplishment in my life. Having benefited from the support of many programs in East Palo Alto inspired me to return to my community after graduation.” As Program Director for the San Francisco 49ers Academy, she served as an advocate and liaison for families transitioning from Ravenswood to Menlo-Atherton High School, and one of her proudest accomplishments is founding the High School Program there. She lives in East Palo Alto with her husband, her daughter Nicole ’28, her three-year-old terrier mix Rosie, and over 50 houseplants. 

Laurel Marks, Staff Nurse, a California native, received her bachelor’s degree in nutritional science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, followed by her bachelor’s in nursing from Seattle University. Her nursing experience includes stints on an Infectious Disease/Pulmonary/HIV floor, several Emergency Departments, and ultimately the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit at Stanford Children’s Hospital. In addition to her career, Laurel spends her time raising her five children, ranging from elementary age to college, and is passionate about fitness, nutrition, hiking, running, cooking, traveling, and gardening. 

Ava Petrash, Director of Community and Civic Engagement, grew up outside Washington, D.C., in a family of teachers. She graduated from Wake Forest University and went on to teaching and administrative roles at Match Charter Public High School, KIPP DC College Preparatory High School, Summit Preparatory Charter High School, and Summit Shasta. Ava shares, “When I’m not at school, I love sports (playing them and watching them), cooking, reading, and finding new hikes with beautiful views of the Bay Area.” 

Courtney Tyler, Upper School Administrative Assistant, was born and raised in the Bay Area and attended Cal Poly-SLO. Having grown up with a passion for sports, she pursued a career path with the San Francisco Giants’ customer service team, and later the ballpark tours department. In her free time, she loves to fish, spend time on the river, listen to podcasts, and both coach and play sports. She says, “I’m very excited to be here at Menlo! I look forward to being a part of this wonderful community and building connections with colleagues and students.”