Welcome, New Hopkins Faculty!

Geoff Nelson

What will you be teaching/advising this year?
I’ll be teaching the Writing Semester and Dangerous Books, and I’ll be advising 9s. [Editor’s note: Mr. Nelson is also Dean of Faculty.]

What led you to working in a school/becoming a teacher?

I ended up teaching because I took a 4th grade teaching job which I found on Craigslist in 2006, which was

a terrible choice by every rational metric, but that decision led me into schools and began the crooked but

wonderful path which brought me to Hopkins.

What is your academic background?

I majored in History at Kenyon College, with a specialization in 18th century American, but specifically American Revolutionary-era African-American, history. I later did a master’s degree in English at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, which I know has produced some amazing faculty already at Hopkins.

Dennis Tsui

What will you be teaching/coaching this year?
I will be teaching AP Computer Science Principles. I will also be the Assistant Coach for the Robotics team.
What is your academic background?

I received my Bachelors of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania through the Penn Fellows program. It has definitely been a big transition going from a school of mostly CS majors to a program where I’m the only one!
What are your hobbies/interests?
I have played the competitive esport Super Smash Bros. for over 10 years, ranking #4 in Georgia. Over the years, it’s been a great outlet for self-expression, and I have formed many lifelong relationships from meeting others through the game. In the future, I hope to develop esports at Hopkins as an alternative community for kids like me who never “clicked” with traditional sports.

Chris Alfano

What does your job as Director of Dining Services entail?
As the DDS of Hopkins, I am responsible for ensuring everything with food service is on schedule, prepared to our quality standards, our kitchen and service areas are clean and organized, allergen management, scheduling, culinary costs and finances, planning and execution of catering events, and the continuing training

of our culinary team.
What is your culinary background?
I started out in family owned fine dining restaurant before going to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America. After college, I did a few years in a higher end chain restaurant and a banquet & conference center. After almost a decade I yearned for some good pizza and came home to Connecticut. I’ve been with Compass Group for the past decade, working in various sectors which have encompassed large format concessions and catering as well as high volume dining halls.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A just picked off the vine perfectly ripe tomato cut extra thick between two slices of crusty Italian bread with salt, pepper and mayo.

Ethan Levine

What will you be teaching/coaching/advising this year?

I will be teaching Geometry and AP Statistics, and coaching the thirds volleyball team. I will also have a group of ninth grade advisees.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Delmar, NY, a suburb of Albany. What is your academic background? I attended the University of Pennsylvania. I have a bachelor’s in linguistics and a master’s in education.
Are you an avid sports fan? If so, what sport and which teams?
My favorite sport is quizbowl, but I’ve never seen it featured on ESPN8 The Ocho. So I settle for the typical major four sports for entertainment, with a preference for basketball. My allegiances and shattered hopes lie in Philadelphia.

What are some of your hobbies/interests?

My main pastime these days is hanging out with my kids. Lately, that involves playing Duolingo friend quests with my 7-year-old and playing princess dress up with my 4-year-old. As for solo hobbies, I enjoy running, crossword puzzles, and trivia.

Naomi Senzer

What will you be teaching/coaching/advising this year?
I am thrilled to be joining the modern language faculty teaching French and Spanish full-time and advising ninth graders this year.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Connecticut. I was born in New Haven, and am now back after studying and living in North Carolina, California, and France.
What is your academic background?

I studied both music and French at UNC-Chapel Hill, and then continued on to get a master’s degree in music performance at Yale, and did education coursework in foreign language at Southern CT State University.
What drew you to Hopkins?
I originally came to Hopkins 20 years ago as a music teacher in the private lesson program. I was so impressed with the academics at the school that I inquired about subbing in the modern language department. Here I found an opportunity to share my two areas of study — music and language — with students who were as enthusiastic about learning as I am about teaching.

Earl Geyer III

What will you be teaching/coaching/advising this year?
One class I will be teaching is the physics portion of the HARPS program. I am also teaching AP Physics
1, which I am equally excited about. Physics is simple and everywhere–and don’t let anyone tell you other-
wise! As for other Hopkins hats I will wear, I will be advising 9th grade, coaching junior school football in
the fall, coaching middle school weight training in the Spring, and helping out with the Science Olympiad.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Hamden, CT not far from West Rock. I have a lot of family in New Haven as well, so I spent
a lot of time in the city, as it were. Not to mention my six years at Hopkins! I am glad to be back and this time with my 8 year old chocolate lab, Ruthie. Careful or she might kill you with kindness — she doesn’t know her own slobber.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love dancing. I’ve been taking lessons in West Coast Swing most recently and I’ve been an avid shuffler for years. I also hike a lot, especially having been close to the White Mountains when I lived in Boston. Sometimes my dog comes along — certainly if there is water involved. Ever since my college job working at the IT help desk, I’ve loved tinkering with and building computers from the hardware all the way through the operating system and application-level software. I’ve picked up running recently and have my first road race this year. I started writing poetry with my senior project at Hopkins and am still going strong. Live music is a big one for me; I have a deep emotional response to music sometimes and it is more strongly evoked in that setting.

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Welcome, New Hopkins Faculty!