ADMINISTRATION & FACULTY

Administration

Dr. Richard Marotta, Headmaster (1991) 

B.A. English, Fordham University; M.A. English, CUNY Hunter College; Ph.D. English, CUNY Graduate Center. Adjunct Professor at CUNY Queens College. 

William Vogel, Lower Division Head and Admissions Director (1977) 

B.A. Mathematics/Secondary Education; M.S. Elementary Education; P.D. Educational Administration and Supervision; doctoral coursework in Administration, St. John’s University.

Brad Battaglia, Upper Division Head and Director of College Counseling (2017) 

B.A. Sociology, Boston College; M.A. Education, Columbia Teachers College.

Mary Maisano, Director of Finance (1992) 

B.A. Business Administration, CUNY Hunter College.

Lisa Sohmer, International SEVIS Agent, College Counseling Associate (1996) 

B.A. English/Government, Connecticut College; M.A. Journalism, New York University. Past President of NYSACAC, NACAC Board of Directors, and advisory panel member for The City University of New York and The College Board.

Mary Petruso, Administrative Assistant (2004) 

B.A. Italian, CUNY Queens College; M.B.A. Finance, Fordham University.

Christine Haddad, Senior Accountant (2013) 

B.B.A. Accounting, Berkeley College, President’s List; NYS Notary Public; Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (May 2020).

Faculty

Kristen Ahlfeld, First Grade (1995) 

B.S. Elementary Education, SUNY New Paltz; M.S. Special Education, CUNY Queens College.

Sonia Ambarsom, Mathematics and Computer Science (2001) 

B.S. Computer Science, New York University; M.A. in Education of Mathematics, CUNY Queens College.

Sarah Blakeley, Mathematics (2016) 

B.A. Child Psychology and East Asian Studies, Bryn Mawr College; M.S. Middle School Mathematics, City College of New York.

Michelle Bruzzese, Mathematics and Science (2016) 

B.S. Health Science, Drexel University, Dean’s List.

Philip D’Anna, Dean of Grades 4-6; Language Arts (2013) 

B.S. Elementary Education (Grades 1-6), Math Certification (Grades 5-7), St. John’s University; M.A. Literacy and Language Acquisition (Grades B-6), CUNY Hunter College; School Building Leadership Certification, St. John’s University.

Flance Dervishi, Athletic Director (2008) 

B.S. Physical Education, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. M.S. Education, School Building Leadership, Administration and Instructional Leadership, St. John’s University

Amira Esposito, English (2016) 

B.A. History of Art and Visual Culture, UC Santa Cruz; M.A. Teaching of English, Teachers College, Columbia; NYS Initial Teacher Certificate, Classroom Teacher.

Michelle Ferreira, Physical Education (2017) 

B.S. Physical Education, College of Mount Saint Vincent, NY.

Gabriel Gomis, French (2005) 

B.A. African Literature; M.A. English, University of Dakar, Senegal; Brevet de Technicien Superieur en Tourisme, Vocational School of Tourism and Hotel Management, West Africa; Berlitz Teaching Training Program.

Richard Grusky, Chair of History and Social Sciences Department (1969) 

B.A. Catholic University of America, Washington, DC; M.A. European History, Manhattan College; further graduate studies at New School for Social Research.

John Hale, Science (1997) 

B.S. Environmental Biology, Ohio University; graduate studies in Secondary Education, CUNY Queens College.

Thomas Heineman, Music (2008) 

B.M. Jazz Performance, New York University; additional coursework, CUNY Queens College, Aaron Copland School of Music.

Paula James, Second Grade (2009) 

B.A. Literature, Ramapo College of NJ; Certificate in Book Publishing; M.A. Early Childhood Education, New York University; NYS Certified Birth-Grade 6.

Rich Kruczek, History and English; Academic Advisor for Grade 11 (2002) 

B.S. Finance, Boston College; M.A. American History, Fordham University.

Lauren Little, Mathematics (2017) 

B.A. Mathematics, Columbia University, NY; M.A. Pure Mathematics, Hunter College.

Nancy Massand, Dean of Grades 7-8; English (1985) 

B.A. English, Gordon College; M.S. Secondary Education/English, CUNY Queens College. Winner of 3 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowships/Seminars.

Agustin Melara, Chair of Foreign Languages Department (2000) 

B.A. Spanish and French; M.A. French, CUNY Queens College. Adjunct Lecturer, CUNY Queens College (1996–2006).

Jacquelyn Renner, Social Studies (2001) 

B.A. History/Secondary Education, Hofstra University; M.S. School Building Leadership, St. John’s University.

Eileen Reyes, Dean of Grades N-K; Pre-Kindergarten (1986) 

B.A. Early Childhood Education, CUNY Queens College; M.S. Multilingual, Multicultural Education, College of New Rochelle; M.S. School Building Leadership, St. John’s University.

Marlene Schultz-Dapice, Chair of Science Department; Academic Advisor for Grade 9 (1989) 

B.S. Biology; completed graduate courses in cell biology and microbial genetics, and research on Lysly-TRNA synthetase activity in E. coli, St. John’s University. Licensed instructor of Medical Assisting & General Academics. Teacher of courses in EKG use and interpretation, phlebotomy, and urinalysis.

Greig Roselli, English Language Department (2016) 

B.A. Liberal Arts with Philosophy Major, St. Joseph Seminary College; M.A. English, Southeastern Louisiana University; M.A. Philosophy, The New School University.

Joanne Simeone-Vogel, Nursery (2014) 

B.S. Education/Special Education, SUNY College at Geneseo; M.S. Education/Early Childhood Education, CUNY Queens College; graduate coursework in Curriculum & Instruction, CUNY College of Staten Island and Long Island University.

Sarah O’Sullivan, Language Arts, Social Sciences and History (1999) 

B.A. History/Secondary Education, Towson University; pursuing M.A. History, CUNY Queens College.

Christopher Vallario, English (2017) 

M.A. Writing and Rhetoric, Long Island University; B.A. English, St. John’s University.

Rachel Vidal, Third Grade (2017) 

B.S. Economics, California Polytechnic State University; Art History, Mass. College of Art and Design and Harvard University School of Continuing Education.

Lily Volpe, Nursery Assistant Teacher (2004) 

LaGuardia College Business Program.

Lauren Yandow, Kindergarten (2014) 

B.A. Early Childhood/Childhood Education and Psychology, Hofstra University; NYS Certified Birth-Grade 6; M.A. TESOL, Queens College.

Jie Yang, Mandarin (2011) 

B.A. Chinese Language and Literature, CUNY Hunter College.

Christopher Zelles, Chair of Fine Arts Department (2017) 

B.A. Fine Arts, Manhattanville College, NY; M.A. Teaching, Manhattanville College, NY; NYS CST Certified, Social Studies, Grade 5-12.

Garden School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, ethnicity, age, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation in its hiring and promotion of administrators, faculty and staff, and in its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.