2008 Camp Updates
Find out about our Fantastic Staff below. Scroll down for Field Trips
Program Updates:
The deadline to enroll in GirlSummer has been extended past the original June 1st deadline.
Use the list below to find out which courses have been closed.
Click Here to enroll today!
Closed Courses (as of June 19, 2008):
- Astronomy (Session 2)
- Creative Writing Workshop: Writing For Stage and Screen (All Sessions)
- Digital Media (Session 1)
- Model UN (Session 3)
- Scandals and Mystery (Session 3)
- Social Computing Session 3)
- Spanish (Session 1)
Staff Bios:
We are very excited to have a number of teachers joining GirlSummer from within the Emma Willard community.
As well, we have many wonderful new and returning staff members from a wide range of backgrounds.
Below is information about some of our staff. We will updating this frequently, so feel free to check back
or call with any questions regarding our teaching and residential staff. Each year - it is our talented
staff of teachers and RAs who make GirlSummer a wonderful living and learning experience for our students.
Program Directors - Joe Tamer and Jennifer Howard
This summer we are delighted to have Joe Tamer return as our GirlSummer program director. Joe came
to Emma Willard in 2002 as an instructor in the science department. He holds a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in
Molecular Biology, and an M.Ed. In Curriculum Development. In addition to teaching at Emma Willard, he
also works with the Inner Journey Program and serves as the advisor for Emma Now, a Web-based news
service. Joe lives on campus with his wife and three children. As program director, Joe oversees all aspects
of the program, with the top priorities being safety, academics, community, and fun. Above all, he helps
foster an environment in which girls learn, grow, and have fun.
Jennifer Howard is currently a house parent at the Emma Willard School and is joining Joe Tamer to direct our
program this summer. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from California State University. She has worked
for many summers in the camp environment. In 2000 she founded and developed the dance program for the
Girl Scout Council in Arizona, where she also directed for three summers. She is excited about combining her
appreciation of the Emma residential environment, her previous experience with girls camp programs, and her
love of working with students.
Academic Director - Gabriela Vega
With four years of GirlSummer under her belt, Gabriela Vega returns as our academic director. As such,
she specifically addresses the academic aspects of the program, upholding the school's high standards
during the summer. She makes sure that the teaching staff is well supported and that the students are
engaged and growing through their class work. The residential life director oversees the residential and
community-living components of the program that are integral to the experience here.
Director of Residential Life - Marcia MacDonald
Last summer Marcia MacDonald worked with GirlSummer students both in the residential environment and in
the Performing Arts classroom. She is very excited about returning to the program as Director of
Residential Life and brings experience both from GirlSummer and her own college environment. This
year, Marcia and Joe have selected a group of talented Residential Assistants (RAs) from with the
Emma Willard recent alumnae community. Under Marcia's leadership, the RAs look forward to bringing
their knowledge of and enthusiasm for the Emma Willard environment to the summer program.
Creative Writing - Tasia Hanmer, Lauren Hunt, Christina Hauser
Tasia is a alumna of the Emma Willard School and is completing her BA in English and African American History
at Smith College. This combination of majors has given her the opportunity to explore modern text and the
literary works of other cultures and sub cultures. She has worked at many camps in previous summers and is
excited to return to her alma mater to help teach the writing workshops.
Lauren studied at Duke University and currently teaches English at The Darlington School in Rome, GA.
At the Darlington School, Lauren teaches classes in both Literature and Activitism. She also has residential
and advisory responsibilities and enjoys giving generously of her time and energy to her students. As a Giles
Mentor at Duke University, Lauren worked with undergraduate young women to help them develop personal
and leadership skills.
Christina earned her BA in English at Georgetown University. She is currently completing her MFA in Creative
Writing at Brooklyn College, under the guidance of Michael Cunningham (author of The Hours) and other
reknowned writers. Christina has been the recipient of awards and honors for her fiction and short fiction
writing. In addition to her writing and workshop skills, she brings a wide range of experience in theater
programs and summer programs.
French - Gladys Praud Hirsch & Brooke Sheldon
This summer, in the effort of accommodating a range of student ability levels, two teachers will be leading our
French program. Gladys Praud Hirsch, a native French speaker and high school French teacher, is returning
to teach for her second summer at GirlSummer. Brooke Sheldon holds a BA in French and has recently
added to her teaching experience as a French Intern at Emma Willard.
Performing Arts - Regina Robbins
Regina Robbins is joining us this summer to teach our Performing Arts class. Regina is a graduate from Yale
University, where she studied Theater. Regina has also attended Columbia University School of the Arts,
where she received her masters in Fine Arts in Film. She has an extensive list of accomplishments; including
Directing Theater at Yale University, Looking Glass Theatre and the Manhattan Theatre Source.
Fine Arts - Holly Koch
Holly is returning from London were she is finishing her MA in Fine Arts at the City and Guilds of London. She
has also received her Certificate in Painting from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Holly
has come from an all girls high school in Pennsylvania and knows the impact that an all girls environment can
have on a young student.
Astronomy - Angela Richard
Angela Richard joins GirlSummer to teach Astronomy, another new course this summer. Angela holds a BA
in Physics and Astronomy and an MS in Planetary and Space Science. Currently, she enjoys teaching at
Emma Willard in the math department, and she is particularly excited about bringing her love of Astronomy to
the summer program.
ESL - Mary Mahoney
Mary Mahoney holds a BA from NYU and is currently completing her Masters in Teaching ESL at SUNY Albany.
She has a number of years of teaching English to a wide range of age groups and language backgrounds.
She is excited about the opportunity to teach an immersive ESL program and work with her students both
in and outside of the classroom.
Mock Trial - Amber Davisson
Amber is working towards her PhD at RPI and will be joining GirlSummer to teach Mock Trial this summer.
Through her dissertation, she is examining how rhetoric, media and politics intersect. She believes very
strongly in the role of public speaking and debate in building self-confidence and shaping academic endeavors.
She has taught a number of courses at RPI, including "Public Speaking" and "Rhetoric, Democracy and the
Media." She is very excited to bring her teaching experience and enthusiasm for rhetoric and debate to
GirlSummer.
Model UN - Rich MacDonald
Rich MacDonald is currently the Director of Sutdent Activities at Emma Willard School, and we are excited to
have him join our teaching staff this summer. Before coming to Emma Willard, Rich taught social studies and
social science courses in middle school and high school environments. During this time, he designed
interdisciplinary lessons in a variety of areas including Model UN. Rich has also coached boys and girls sports
teams for many years. He brings his experience working with students both in and out of the classroom to
GirlSummer this year.
Digital Media - Paul Booth
Paul is also earning his PhD at RPI , working towards a degree in New Media. He received his Masters degree
in Digital Media and has taught many classes in the areas of media production, video, audio, interactive media
and critical interpretation. Recently, he designed and taught an upper-level class at RPI, entitled "Digital Culture",
examining the philosophical implications of the digital media in our contemporary lives. In designing and teaching
this new course for GirlSummer - he will infuse Digital Media with media and technology skills as well as a
classic approach to cultural media studies.
Field Trips:
Below are some of the trips GirlSummer students went on last summer. We may be revisiting some of them in the upcoming 2008 summer sessions.
We are very privileged and honored to be able to have an intimate sit down
with Myla Goldberg. Myla is the acclaimed author of Bee Season, which
was also adapted into a film starring Richard Gere. Myla’s latest novel is
Wickett’s Remedy. The Decemberists, a very popular band, has also
written a great song about Myla called “Song for Myla Goldberg”.
Creative Writing Workshop
