Roberta Brandão, Ph.D., was hired in June 2014 to teach Computer Science, co-teach Engineering Design and infuse technology across all divisions. A designer, educator, and a native of Rio de Janeiro, her work has been shown at museums and festivals including The Centre George Pompidou and SIGGRAPH. As visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, she collaborated in designing the first Makeshop Installation for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. She has taught digital media production at the graduate and undergraduate levels and has a Master of Art Education from OSU and a Ph.D. in Psychology from PUC-Rio, where she continues to research how young people make creative discoveries and pursue self-directed learning while playing with new media. She works as Educational Technology consultant at Escola Parque in Rio where she has overseen the implementation of a new STEMx middle-school course. She is also a member of Digital Corps-Sprout Fund, a new after-school initiative in Pittsburgh.

Diane came to Ellis in July 2014 to serve as Head of Operations and Human Resources. Prior to joining Ellis, Diane was President of Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, PA. As Chief Administrator of the school, she was responsible for educational programs, fund development and financial growth, facilities, and human resources. During her 18 years at Serra, she served in a variety of positions including Assistant Principal, Dean of Students, Business Instructor and Department Head, and Technology Coordinator. Prior to becoming an educator, she was an Assistant Operations Officer at Mellon Bank as well as its Purchasing/Inventory Control Manager. Diane holds a Masters in Educational Administration from Duquesne University and a bachelor’s of science in Business Teacher Education from Robert Morris University.

In addition to serving as Theater Arts & Vocal Music Teacher, Jackie will serve as director of the Ellis Glee Club. Before arriving at Ellis in fall 2014, Jackie was the K-8 Music Director at Providence Heights Alpha School in Allison Park where she taught music, created a choir, and directed the theater program. During her student teaching, Jackie taught at Blackrock College in Dublin, Ireland where she led their audition choir to the All-Ireland Choir Regional Finals. Jackie graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Duquesne University where she was acknowledged for excellence in undergraduate research in music education. She also is an active member of the local theater community in Pittsburgh and recently played a female leading role in Jekyll and Hyde the Musical.

Brooke will join the Ellis team in fall 2014 to teach Middle and Upper School Latin. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Classics, Philosophy, and Ancient Science from the University of Pittsburgh, where she has been teaching Latin and Classical Mythology for the past three years. Brooke is passionate about education and classical studies. She holds three Masters of Arts degrees: an MA in Classical Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, and an MA is in Rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University. She also has a post-baccalaureate degree in Ancient Greek and Latin from the University of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, Brooke enjoys crafting and cooking.

Elisa Hill, Orchestra Teacher
Elisa joins The Ellis School in the 2014-2015 school year as the Instrumental Music Director for the Middle School Band and Upper School Orchestra. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree in music education. During her time at IUP, Elisa was a member of the Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra (French horn), and the IUP Marching Band. Prior to Ellis, Elisa shared her passion for music with students as the director of the concert band, middle and high school jazz ensembles, and high school show choir in the Burrell School District. She is also actively involved as a staff member for both high school and collegiate marching bands in the area as a music, marching, and color guard instructor.

Diana was hired in July 2014 to manage design of Ellis Magazine, and admissions, marketing and fundraising materials. Prior to Ellis, Diana served as Graphic Designer in Carlow University’s Communications and External Relations division where she designed recruitment, admissions, alumni, and development materials. Prior to Carlow, she was Design Services Coordinator for Carnegie Museum of Natural History, where she created print and digital marketing materials and exhibition design. Diana is a 2008 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design, which is ranked as a top-five design school. She has been an active member of the American Professional Organization for Design (AIGA) since 2005. Her work has been exhibited in AIGA Pittsburgh’s 365 Design Show, Graphic Design USA’s American In-house Design Awards, and the Annual Pittsburgh Paper Show.

Tim will join the Visual Arts faculty at Ellis as the Photography and Video instructor in fall 2014. Prior to Ellis, Tim taught at Pittsburgh Linden K-5, where he coached the school’s chess team to a first place finish in the annual interschool tournament. Along with teaching in the public schools, Tim has worked in the Education, Operations, and Youth Media departments at Pittsburgh Filmmakers since 2011. He is a 2008 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, which is ranked as a top-three drama school. Tim received an Emerging Photographer grant in 2012, and his work has been exhibited locally. His photography has also run in the Boston Globe, and he has produced media arts projects in New York, Boston, Montreal and Los Angeles. Prior to working in education, Tim served as a political media consultant in Washington DC. He still shoots with film, and his favorite camera is more than 100 years old!

Cheryl Kotowski will join The Ellis School staff in fall 2014 as a world language teacher in the Lower and Middle Schools. Cheryl is fluent in both Spanish and French. Cheryl has a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in Liberal Arts and Spanish. She has combined her love of teaching and her love of travel and has spent many years teaching internationally in Taiwan, Peru, Czech Republic, and Spain. She brings a genuine passion to her teaching. She describes teaching as exhilarating and creative. She believes there is nothing better than seeing a child figure something out on her own and knowing that, as a teacher, you have been part of the process of developing the child’s skills, knowledge, and confidence.

Karin Miller will be the After School Programs Coordinator for the Ellis Lower School. She has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University and an AA degree from the Art and Fashion Institute of Pittsburgh. She also attended Chatham, taking courses in Elementary Education. She has lined up a stellar program of offerings for the fall After School Adventures Program and is currently interviewing to find more talented and enthusiastic staff members for the Extended Day Program. Mrs. Miller comes to Ellis with a wealth of experience both in business and in early childhood education. She brings to Ellis her long time association with Chautauqua Institute, and has already formed partnerships for Ellis with Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Saltworks Theater Company, and the Heinz History Center to bring amazing programs to Ellis for our after school programming.

Ashley Smith, English Teacher, Grade 9 & 10 Dean, Upper School
Ashley joins the Ellis School in the 2014-2015 school year as an Upper School English Teacher and as 9th and 10th Grade Dean. Ashley previously taught English in the Ellis Middle School in the 2011-12 school year. Prior to that, she taught secondary English in the Hampton Township and Avonworth school districts.  She also serves as private tutor for students in grades 6 through 11 with a special focus in the areas of writing, grammar, and test preparation.  Ashley is a 2004 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. She is also a 2008 graduate of Duquesne University, where she earned a Master's degree in English Education.

Bayh Sullivan ’02, Director of Admission & Financial Aid
In September 2014, Bayh Sullivan ’02 will join the Ellis administration as Director of Admission & Financial Aid. Bayh attended Bryn Mawr College where she was hired after graduation as an Admissions Officer. She later entered the independent school world at Germantown Friends School, where she was promoted to the Director of the Annual Fund within a year. Most recently, Bayh worked as the Consulting and Client Services Manager for Generation Branding and Communications in New York City, where she developed compelling communications strategies and fundraising and admissions materials for educational institutions such as The Hotchkiss School. Bayh believes that Ellis is an exceptional environment that empowers bright, curious girls to explore the reaches of their imaginations, the depth of their hypotheses, and the breadth of their character. She looks forward to creating relationships with current and prospective students and families.

Kristy will join the Ellis Middle School faculty as a math teacher in fall 2014. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Grove City College where she earned a B.S. in mathematics. She also earned an M.A. in mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to Ellis, Kristy taught mathematics at Knoch Middle School in the South Butler County School District for 12 years. Kristy brings to Ellis her enthusiasm, energy, and passion for teaching mathematics to Middle School learners. Kristy will join our 6th grade team as an advisor and will teach two 6th grade math classes. She will also teach 7th grade Pre-Algebra and Geometry. Additionally, Kristy is looking forward to working with the Middle School girls on Ellis Entrepreneurs. Kristy coached the Math Counts club at Knoch, and seeks to establish a Math Counts club at Ellis. Kristy’s former administrators describe her as an organized, innovative, and professional colleague with a unique ability to differentiate instruction and help students reach understanding. Her strong content background in mathematics and high expectations helped her students grow in confidence and ability.

Kassie joins the staff of The Ellis School as biology teacher in the Upper School. Prior to Ellis, she worked as an instructor for the Foundations of Biology Laboratory course at the University of Pittsburgh. Kassie is a 2012 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education, where she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a concentration in science education. In 2010 she graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a major in biology. As an undergraduate student, Kassie performed research studies on the formation of the nervous system, the connection between race and atherosclerosis, and completed a field study in Costa Rica on the local hummingbird species.