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Augustine is a trained research scientist with more than 15 years of practical research experience, including the writing and publication of 25 peer-reviewed papers. For eight years, she served as an assistant research professor and oversaw laboratory operations of the melanoma research group at Duke University. Augustine transitioned to K-12 education in 2013, when she was selected as a Teach for America corps member and earned placement at the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability in Durham. For the last nine years, Augustine has taught science at Carrboro High School, where her course load has included Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and environmental science. She is the mother of Carmen Augustine ’09.

The last book I read: In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende and Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Subi

My favorite obsession: “My favorite obsession is word puzzles — the MOST-used app on my phone is the New York Times Games app. My morning routine is Wordle first, then Connections, Strands, the Mini and the Crossword. Unless it’s Monday or Tuesday, I rarely finish the crossword before work. In the evening, after I get through the crossword, I will sometimes work on the Spelling Bee.”

My greatest day of teaching: “One of my most memorable teaching moments actually goes back to when I was teaching preschool. Every morning as the kids — 4-year-olds! — were dropped off, many would head to the reading area. Several mornings in a row, they asked me to read Old MacDonald Had A Farm — the one where the cows go ‘moo’ and the ducks go ‘quack.’ Needless to say, I got quite tired of reading that book. Try as I might to get them to pick a different one, they insisted that I read Old MacDonald again. On a whim one morning, when I got to the part where you say the cow goes ‘moo,’ I said, ‘And the cow goes quack.’ The kids, laughing and in unison, said, ‘Cows don’t go quack, they go moo.’ And every morning after that, I had to read the Old MacDonald book the ‘wrong’ way.

“I think back to this often because it really highlights that as a teacher, you want to inspire your students to actively think — not passively listen — and to not be afraid to question what you are telling them. I never want my students to assume the teacher is always right. I’d rather they ask me questions because that means they are paying attention and thinking deeper.”

A favorite adventure: “I was a graduate student in the early days of using electronics and computers to capture high-speed events, such as ion channel activity that drives nerve conduction. After completing my Ph.D., I decided to travel to West Germany to work with the pioneers in studying single ion channels. While working in this amazing research environment, I also had the opportunity to witness the opening of the borders that separated Western Europe and Eastern Europe. I began my two years in West Germany looking out over ‘no-man's land’ separating West and East Germany and finished looking out over the remnants of the former Berlin Wall — an unforgettable experience!”

Dowell spent three years at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, where she taught six different courses — ranging from “Feminist Literature and Media” to “Introduction to Anthropology” — in the school’s humanities department. She has also taught at the collegiate level: Dowell served as an instructor for one year at The American University in Cairo, and she taught for two years in the cultural anthropology department at Duke University.

The last book I read: “The last book I read was Women Talking by Miriam Toews. It's a difficult book but one that wrestles with power, community and faith — three of my favorite things to think, read and write about.”

My song of the summer: Come on Up to the House by Tom Waits and cover by Sarah Jorosz

Best show on streaming right now: The Expanse

My favorite obsession: “Lounging and swimming at the West Point on the Eno.”

My favorite memory in education: “My favorite memories are graduation days, culminations of years of perseverance and resilience. It is so gratifying to celebrate students that you see put in the work to learn and grow day after day.”

My greatest day of teaching: “My most memorable days in the classroom have been students' ‘Unessay’ presentations. In the ‘Unessay,’ students are asked to create their own assessments to showcase their mastery and exploration of course content. I have had the privilege of teaching amazingly creative student bakers, dancers, game creators, writers and artists who come up with insightful, creative and sometimes delicious engagements with class material.”

One piece of technology I wish I could leave behind: “The cellphone!”

In addition to his St. Christopher’s teaching responsibilities, Sherod occupied a panoply of school-related roles, including faculty advisor for the school’s student publication and debate team, as well as coaching positions across the middle school and upper school. Sherod served as an official leader within the school’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team, as well as faculty lead for the Center for The Study of Boys, which is dedicated to promoting best practices in engaging and teaching boys. Sherod was a four-year letter winner on the men’s basketball team at the University of Richmond, where he also served as a three-time captain of his team. He was the 2020 recipient of the Determination Award, which is presented by Richmond’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

The last book I read 62: Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees and the Pursuit of Greatness by Bryan Hoch

My song of the summer: “One of Wun” by Gunna; “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan; and “One of These Nights” by The Eagles

Best show on streaming right now: Parks and Recreation

My favorite obsession: “I am very excited for school to begin so I can ditch my current obsession of EA Sports NCAA Football 25.”

For the past 12 years, Sun has served as a senior lecturer and coordinator of co-curricular activities in the department of languages, literatures and civilizations at UNC Greensboro. Across her 18-year career in education, Sun has taught more than a dozen Chinese courses at five different undergraduate institutions, including Duke University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Pennsylvania, Wake Forest University and UNC Greensboro. In addition to a two-year stint at Duke, Sun has previously taught in the Triangle: She was a K-12 Chinese teacher at Chapel Hill Chinese School and Cary Chinese School in the mid-2000s.

My favorite obsession: “Acoustic guitar.”

My favorite memory in education: “At my annual online symposium for new students, I have the pleasure of inviting graduates to share their valuable insights, shedding light on their learning experiences and current endeavors. The new students eagerly participate in engaging discussions, asking thought-provoking questions and creating an atmosphere of lively exchange and mutual learning. As we chat and reflect, we look forward to the future with excitement, united by our shared passion for growth and knowledge. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful profession.”

My approach to teaching: “Since 2006, I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching Chinese language courses at all proficiency levels. Additionally, I have a genuine passion for leading literature and culture classes, organizing international cultural events and creating an interactive learning community. My teaching approach emphasizes building a vibrant and dynamic relationship with my students inside and outside the classroom. I am dedicated to deeply immersing students in the Chinese language and culture, and I find great fulfillment in establishing meaningful connections with my students while offering enriching learning experiences.”

Brunn has spent the last six years at Georgetown Day School, where he occupied multiple roles before ascending to assistant director of athletics. In his position, Brunn provided direct administrative support to more than 50 teams, 90 coaches and 400 student-athletes at Georgetown Day. He has worked in schools for 10 years, including as a head secretary with Grand Rapids Public Schools and as an athletics office manager at Grand Rapids Community College.

Kufuor manages business affairs on behalf of musical artists. He has previously served as a contract specialist for Thermo Fisher Scientific in Durham and as a document review attorney for the software company Consilio LLC.

The last book I read: The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

My song of the summer: “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz

Best show on streaming right now: Game of Thrones

My favorite obsession: Soccer

One discontinued item I wish were still available: “Whole cuts of a particular livestock at a butcher.”

My song of the summer: “My song of the summer is Tennis Courts by Lorde. It's just such a fun song and makes me feel like I'm back at the beach!”

Best show on streaming right now: “I will always say the best show on streaming right now is Grey’s Anatomy. I have watched it more times than I will admit here!”

Most recently, Riesgo assisted Clemson’s sports science team and performance teams in the collection and storing of performance data. He previously served as a human performance graduate assistant and a strength and conditioning intern at Ohio University, where he worked closely with the men’s basketball, softball and golf programs.

Scandole’s three-year tenure at San Jose State University featured her creation of a football “playbook” that detailed all pertinent operations and logistics of the university’s football sports medicine program. She had previously served as the school’s head athletic trainer for men’s and women’s track and field and cross-country. During her time as an undergraduate, Scandole worked with the football and beach volleyball programs at the University of South Carolina. She also served as a medical volunteer at the 2019 Boston Marathon.

My song of the summer: Belong Together by Mark Ambor

Best show on streaming right now: Loot

My favorite obsession: “The beach is my favorite place to be. There is nothing like hearing the ocean waves crash and break that makes me so happy.”

The last book I read: The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden

My song of the summer: Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun

Best show on streaming right now: Friends and Grey’s Anatomy

My favorite obsession(s): “College sports, camp, reading and going to the beach.”

Supica was a three-time Second Team All-Big Ten selection as a field hockey player at Indiana University. Her coaching career has included stops at Central Michigan University, the University of California, Davis, and most recently Brown University. Supica has also coached at the high school and junior level as a head coach at Cherry Creek High School in Denver and as a coach with the Denver Field Hockey Club.

My song of the summer: “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. “Fun fact: My car is nicknamed ‘Dolly!’”

My favorite obsession: “My pups, Koda and Willow! They’re both rescue dogs that are my entire world.”