Meet our faculty
They hail from countries around the world and bring with them long lists of impressive credentials: UWC-USA’s faculty are committed to their profession, their students, and to the school’s mission.
UWC-USA faculty are not only experts in their respected fields, but they also share a commitment to the UWC mission and a belief in the students who will carry it forward.
“How can there be peace without people understanding each other; and how can this be if they don’t know each other?”
Alexis Mamaux
Dean of Academics
Alexis Mamaux
Dean of AcademicsIf you had to choose one value or element of the UWC mission that you think is most important, which would it be?
The core UWC values seem to emanate from the power of idealism–and that’s what I find most compelling about the UWC mission. It is that idealism that brought these students so far from their homes, and it is an optimism and voracious desire to learn so that they can make significant change that truly sets us apart as a movement and has kept me at UWC-USA for so long.
Which tradition or annual event at UWC-USA holds particular meaning for you?
The Welcome Dinner is the one time in the two years where the school community gathers to celebrate both the community which we have all voluntarily joined and the cultural differences that are embodied by the national costumes. From the opening parade to the musical selections and food, there is this blend of all things UWC.
What quality do our students consistently display that you admire most?
In a climate where people have become more insular, our students represent the polar opposite of that. They are accepting of others, and embrace difference–seeking understanding while maintaining their own individualism.
What do you do routinely in your work to enhance or improve the educational experience of our students?
I love walking the classroom hallways. Rather than hurrying from one place to another, I find it incredibly instructive to pause and view our students engaged in learning. This gives me a snapshot of how individual students are doing. I also enjoy standing out in front of the Old Stone Hotel, watching as the students go from one class to the next; there is so much that I can see from their gait, posture, and facial expressions.
Education
BA, Pennsylvania State University
MPIA, University of Pittsburgh
Ben
Science
Ben
ScienceWhat do you love about teaching?
I love teaching because it is an active, dynamic job. Every day is unique, every class is unique, every student is unique. I am always on my feet, trying to find the most effective way to communicate with my students and engage them in the complex and challenging topics we cover.
What do you do on the weekends?
I hang out with my partner and our two kids, go for hikes in the Pecos Wilderness, play music, and work on rehabbing our old adobe house.
What’s your favorite food?
Ethiopian food! And New Mexican food, of course.
What’s the most unusual or esoteric topic you’ve researched?
I spent four months traveling around the Pacific Northwest surveying elusive and endangered aquatic lichens.
BS, Antioch College
MS, New Mexico Highlands University
Brett
Mathematics
Brett
MathematicsWhat do you love about teaching?
I savor the opportunity to help students consider the world from a new perspective, think hard about difficult problems, and discover who and how they should be in the world. Working at a UWC gives me ample opportunity to pursue all of these areas of instruction, which has made it an ideal fit for me as an instructor.
What do you do on the weekends?
As often as possible, I like to travel with my family to our cabin at nearby Morphy Lake. The solitude and natural setting tend to settle me and create a space in which I can recharge my mental and emotional reserves.
What’s your favorite food?
Sushi
What’s the most unusual or esoteric topic you’ve researched?
Not exactly esoteric, but the phenomenology of Heidegger massively reshaped my understanding of the world.
BA, University of Oklahoma
MA, New Mexico Highlands University
Camille
Language
Camille
LanguageWhat do you love about teaching?
That it is really about being present and responding to what is going on in the classroom moment to moment. Basically, what I enjoy about teaching is that it is about learning!
What do you do on the weekends?
We (my partner and 2 teenage children) live on a ranch, so I play with my horses, goats, chickens, dogs and cats… And we all try to carve a little time to dance together.
What’s your favorite food?
Southern Indian Dosas and Sambar.
What’s the most unusual or esoteric topic you’ve researched?
The relationship between Samkhya, one of the major Indian Darsanas (Philosophies) and human embryology and its magical developmental patterns.
Education
M.A. Performance, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of London UK
Graduate Diploma in Dance, Middlesex University, London, UK
End of Studies Diploma in Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Dance Conservatory of Nantes, France
Denika
English
Denika
EnglishWhat do you love about teaching?
I love that I have the opportunity to discuss and explore topics that interest and inspire me. It is also wonderful being able to see my students begin being inspired by the same things that I am. On top of that, watching them learn and grow is amazing.
What do you do on the weekends?
Most weekends I make time to read and write for fun and spend time with friends and family. I also try to make small trips to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, or Taos to explore, do activities, and just get away and focus on myself for a while.
What’s your favorite food?
All breakfast foods. I could eat breakfast any time of day.
What’s the most unusual or esoteric topic you’ve researched?
Trauma fiction, specifically concerning domestic abuse, and the use of writing as a form of therapy.
Education
English, MA, New Mexico Highlands University
Dr. Sam
Science
Dr. Sam
ScienceWhat do you love about teaching?
The students, Experiential Education program, play productions, physics, mathematics and Theory of Knowledge.
What do you do on the weekends?
Play chess and go to church.
What’s your favorite food?
Oh-noh-Kowswey.
What’s the most unusual or esoteric topic you’ve researched?
International schools in India and abroad.
BSc and MSc, Bangalore University
BEd, Mysore University
MEd, Madurai University
Doctorate, Sardar Patel University
EdD, Columbia University