Our Founding Faculty
Professor Meredith Hill is a recent graduate of Barnard’s teacher certification program. Meredith has incredibly diverse experiences teaching and mentoring in public schools, camps and NGO sectors and brings an academic background in both creative arts (Theatre Arts and Dance) and Literature. The recipient of several academic and community service awards at Columbia University (e.g. the Ethel Stone Lefrak Prize in the Arts, Columbia Community Impact Award and the John Bornemann Prize in Spanish), where she was on the Dean’s list every year. She did her student teaching internship in Mott Hall II and in PS-125, where she led student play productions and created a variety of art enrichment programs. Both a scholar and an activist- Meredith was on the Dean’s list every year of her undergraduate education and graduated magna cum laude (GPA of 3.9) - she also has diverse interests and intellectual passions. Clearly this year’s star graduate from Barnard’s Education program, Meredith will bring both intellectual depth and boundless energy to CSS.
Professor Carla Cota comes to CSS with graduate degrees in Anthropology and has done research in both biology (corn and rice genetics) and ethnographic studies in education. She has 4 years of teaching experience in NYC public schools, the New York Botanical Gardens and The Tenement Museum. Raised in a border town between Mexico and the USA, Carla is bilingual and has vast travel and outdoor experience in the USA, Africa, Central and South America and Europe. An avid camper, hiker and snorkeler, Carla hopes to bring both her interdisciplinary training and experience, and her enthusiasm for the outdoors, to her science classroom at CSS. Prof. Cota is currently completing her degree in Science Education at CUNY. Exceptionally energetic and enthusiastic, Carla projects charisma and a depth of knowledge that will undoubtedly capture our student’s imagination. Carla will be teaching science and philosophy.
Professor Chance Nalley comes to CSS with undergraduate degrees in secondary education, math and engineering and graduate degrees in Mathematics Education from Teachers College-Columbia University. Currently enrolled in Teachers College doctoral program in Math Education, Chance has 4 years of teaching experience in NYC public schools and an impressive variety of teaching experiences in area such as sociology, technology, science literacy, human sexuality, and life skills; and research and development experiences in areas such as aquaculture, engineering, and software. A recipient of a dozen academic and leadership awards, Prof. Nalley has also, interestingly published a booklet on “gourmet recipes for farm raised fish”. A native of Maine, where among other things he led emergency response and outdoor wilderness survival courses, Chance plays the guitar, saxophone and piano and is an avid hiker and cyclist. Professor Nalley will be teaching math and philosophy.
Professor Chris Jones has a MA in Social Studies Education and a BA in Political Science from Brooklyn College where he was a Dean’s list NYC Merit Scholarship recipient. His thesis project focused on the political meaning of Malcolm X and Paolo Freire Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Prof. Jones is certified in both Social Science and Mathematics and has 4 years of teaching experience in NYC public schools. An avid drummer, Chris also has experience in outdoor leadership where he taught backpacking, edible wild plant identification, orienteering and knot tying. At CSS, Prof. Jones will teach social studies and philosophy.
Professor Jose Maria Moreno Dominguez has two MA’s in Romance Languages and Literature (SUNY Buffalo) and Teaching Spanish as a Second Language (Universidad Antonio de Nebrija-Madrid, Spain), and a BA in English Literature from the Universidad de Cordoba. He is a certified Spanish and ESL teacher (from Spain), and has applied to obtain NYS English Language Arts certification. Jose Maria joins us with 7 years of k-college teaching experience under his belt, and has also led student study abroad trips to Cuba, Spain. A native language speaker in Spanish and fluent in English, Prof Dominguez also has reading fluency in three other languages: Portuguese, French and Italian. Born and raised in Spain where his family owns a 12,000 tree organic olive farm that produces one of the “finest olive oils in the world, Jose Maria also breeds horses and is an avid biker, scuba diver and Andalusian cook. Prof. Dominguez will be teaching Spanish language arts and creative arts.
Dr. Paul Thomson - Philosopher in Residence - Dr. Thomson brings a wealth of teaching, writing and research experience in the field of philosophy for children, and has published two classroom activity books Philosophy for Teens. Paul enjoys photography, gardening, and is an avid reader and writer. Dr. Thomson will be teaching philosophy, photography, and a humanities elective, and assisting in curricular development and special activities, including our guest lecture series that will be open to the community.
Professor Andrew Stillman, Associate Director for Technology and Information Systems is a Phi Beta Kappa, Cum-Laude graduate of the University of Oregon, with a B.A. and majors in philosophy and physics. Andrew holds a masters degree in secondary science education from the City College of New York, and will soon hold a masters in school leadership from the Baruch College School for Public Affairs. Prior to entering the classroom in 2001 as a New York City Teaching Fellow, Andrew worked as an outdoor educator for ten years, both as a youth sailing instructor on the Hudson River, and as a youth conservation corps crewleader in the woods of the Oregon. During his five years in the New York City schools, Andrew has actively researched the most effective methods of physics instruction with students of diverse ability levels, and has been a successful technology grant writer and a tireless agent for improving information and knowledge-sharing systems in schools. Andrew's work with research-based physics teaching methodologies earned him the honor of teaching a physics teacher preparation course at the Buffalo State University. His entree into school leadership commenced with a half-year administrative internship at the Beacon School, a diverse, selective, and highly successful public high school on Manhattan's West Side, followed by three semesters teaching physics and advisory at the Humanities Preparatory Academy, a small, progressive public high school in the Chelsea neighborhood. Andrew and his wife, Jennifer (a talented AP government teacher) are the co-founders and architects of Open Planner, a non-profit online web resource whose mission is to enable teachers to collaboratively build free, effective curriculum resources embedded in reflective discourse about "what works." A self-taught web developer and programmer, Andrew is responsible for the CSS webpage, course management, and email systems. Andrew also speaks fluent French, loves to cook, and enjoys building things out of decomissioned Department of Education furniture.
