Faculty

Resident Faculty

The resident faculty is a group of professionals who live in the dormitories (with families and/or pets) and fulfill other roles in the Emma Willard community. Some are teachers, some are coaches, some work in administrative offices; all of them are committed to working with and supporting young women. Each houseparent is responsible for specific halls within the dormitories and is a resource for students about all aspects of life within and beyond Emma Willard School. Resident faculty members welcome frequent communication with parents and generally act as the parents away from home during all times—both difficult and wonderful—when an adult is needed. Among many other roles, the resident faculty give permissions, create and implement residential policies, oversee dining room activity, and provide many forms of TLC.

	, 2004 B.A. North Central College M.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Resident Faculty, Science Robert F. Buckley received a B.A. in physics and mathematics and his M.S. in physics. He taught high school math, physics, and computer science and coached cross country running for many years before becoming a mathematics/science instructor at RPI and chair of the chemistry and physics departments and assistant professor of physics at Hudson Valley Community College.

	, 2008 B.A. DePauw University M.A. University of New Hampshire Resident Faculty, Seminar Leslie Dillon received a B.A. in biology from DePauw University and an M.A. in sociology from the University of New Hampshire. She was a teaching assistant at both the University of New Hampshire and DePauw. Leslie was also an assistant coach in cross-country and track at Oyster River High School in Durham, New Hampshire, and was the summer program assistant coordinator for the Kittery Recreation Department.

	, 2005 B.S. State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Resident Faculty Stacey Dodd graduated with a B.S. in paper science and chemical engineering and has worked as an engineering consultant. She spent five years in Northern Ireland and Ireland working for Habitat for Humanity as a program director and has been involved for many years as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. Stacey enjoys organized sports, kayaking, hiking and camping, music and concerts, and international travel.

	, 2004 B.A. Douglass College Resident Faculty Gemma Halfi graduated from Douglass College with a B.A. in Italian language and literature. Before joining the Emma Willard community, she was a member of the residence life staff at Douglass. Gemma also served as a member of the AmeriCorps National Service Organization, where she volunteered for various nonprofit organizations in different areas of the United States. Her travels took her to Pine Ridge, South Dakota, directing a Boys & Girls Club; Detroit, Michigan, tutoring first graders in public schools; and Martinsville, Indiana, working at a camp for children with disabilities. An avid vocalist, Gemma and her husband perform as an acoustic folk duo throughout the capital region. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in childhood special education at Sage Graduate School.

	, 2005 B.A. Skidmore College Resident Faculty, Arts Nicole M. Hapeman graduated from Skidmore College with a B.A. in biology. Prior to joining the Emma Willard community, she was the art director for the Kingswood Youth Center in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Nicole has also taught ceramics and special education, and counseled and tutored children who were placed outside of the regular classroom due to emotional/behavioral issues.

	, 2006 B.A. California State University Resident Faculty Jennifer Howard holds a B.A. in creative writing. She joins Emma Willard from Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, AZ, where she worked with guests to evaluate their fitness, nutrition, and life/stress management. She then helped them design a program to address those areas. Prior to that, she was an editor’s assistant at ELLE magazine in San Francisco. Jennifer also spent several years working for the Girl Scouts, launching a dance program and serving as program director.

	, 2000 B.A., M.Ed. St. Lawrence University Resident Faculty, Director of College Counseling Kent Jones oversees college counselors Polly Kimberly and Brooke Sheldon. As director of college counseling, he facilitates the post-secondary plans of all seniors and oversees testing related to college admissions.

	, 2000 B.S. Green Mountain College M.Ed. Harvard Graduate School of Education Resident Faculty, Instructor in Seminar A former Peace Corps volunteer in the West Indies, Sabrina Putnam works as a resident faculty members and also teaches in the Seminar division. She avidly supports the school's athletic teams, trying to attend every game. She adores reading, canoeing on a lake in Maine, watching professional football, and spending time with her husband, English instructor Todd Matthew, daughter Betsy, and son Calvin. “I also went to an all-girls boarding school (Stoneleigh-Burnham School), and it changed my life!”

	, 2004 B.S. Newark State College Resident Faculty Melissa Salmon received a B.S. in early childhood education and K–8 elementary education from Newark State College (now Keane College). In addition, she completed courses in wilderness responder, wilderness advanced first aid, and wilderness first aid and CPR. Melissa comes to Emma Willard from the Midland School, where she was director of student services and health coordinator.

	, 2008 B.S. St. John's University Resident Faculty Stacey Serrette received a B.S. in sports management from St. John’s University. She comes to Emma Willard from the Women’s Sports Foundation, where she began as a senior intern in the program management department and then became the program coordinator. Stacey has been a residential fellow for The Hotchkiss School summer program and a resident assistant at St. John’s University.

	, 2006 B.S. College of Saint Rose Resident Faculty Lindsey Stapleton earned a B.S. in music education at Saint Rose, where she was a resident assistant, Chamber Singers officer, and founder and director of The Girls Next Door a cappella group. Lindsey has taught general music at both the Mariaville and Woestina elementary schools in the Schalmont central school district and was a long-term substitute for the Niskayuna central school district music program.

	, 2007 B.A., M.A. University of New Hampshire Resident Faculty Sue Taylor received a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in history from the University of New Hampshire. She was the assistant director of admissions and head coach of boys and girls crew at the Knox School and head/varsity coach of women’s crew at the University of New Hampshire. Sue has also coached crew during the summer at the U.S. Naval Academy and was the guest coach at the U.S. Junior National Team Development Camp in July of 2004.

	, 1998 B.S. North Adams State College Resident Faculty Jennifer Ulicnik has been with Emma Willard since 1998. She holds a B.S. in education from North Adams State College. Before coming to Emma Willard, Jennifer taught at the elementary and junior high levels in Texas, Massachusetts, and New York. After eight years of work on the freshman halls, Jennifer now works in The Bridges, a self-governed dorm. When Jennifer is not on campus, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, spending time with her nieces and nephews, and playing in the Adirondacks.

Year indicates date of appointment.

Computer-generated art, fine art, drawing, painting

“At Emma, we spend time working through the technical aspects of creating art so students know what needs to be done in order to make the statement they want to make." Mark Van Wormer, arts instructor