Academic Faculty
Samuel Zhou
Director of Education
Dr. Zhou received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rutgers University. Before joining Northern, he taught computer science at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University. He was also an undergraduate advisor and served on the Chair Search Committee at the Department of Computer & Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ronald C. Fortunato
Director of Special Projects and Partnerships
Mr. Fortunato is a pioneer and innovator in the development and implementation of educational technology. He is one of the original five Christa McAuliffe Educators in the USA selected by the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, and a NASA Space Ambassador for the United States. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
rfortunato@northernacademy.org
Maureen Zebian
Director of Curriculum and Instruction; Social Studies Teacher
Maureen Zebian brings to Northern Academy almost 20 years of classroom teaching experience. She has taught social studies and English, as well as elective classes including health and criminal justice. At Northern she teaches world history and eastern hemisphere history. As a curriculum specialist, she is skilled at improving learning opportunities for students and educators alike. She works closely with teachers and administrators to implement a rigorous curriculum and assess the quality of instruction.
Ms. Zebian holds a B.A in political science from the University of Arizona. She has three grown children: Ryan 28, Natalie 26, and Rita 24.
Amanda White
English Teacher
Amanda earned her Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Hunter College in New York City, and went on to study education, also at Hunter College. Before receiving a BA in English, Amanda studied Acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and she utilizes her acting background in classroom performance tasks. As an English teacher in Los Angeles for over two years, Amanda dedicated herself to helping students critically interact with texts, develop and hone their unique writing styles, and engage in meaningful, relevant discussions and activities. Amanda is thrilled to continue her teaching career at Northern Academy!
Matthew Carl
English Teacher
Matthew Carl began working for Northern Academy in 2018. Previously, he worked for four years in the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, NY. Following his graduation from the State University of New York College at New Paltz in 1997, he worked as a retail manager for over a decade before returning to the academic world in 2012 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Literacy at Mount Saint Mary College, which he completed in 2016. He has worked with young people in a variety of arenas including summer camps, residential facilities, and classrooms.
Alexander Greene
Social Studies Teacher
Alex Greene received his B.S. in Anthropology and Sociology from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester Vermont and his M.S. in Mid Level Education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. While at Saint Michael’s, Alex along with faculty from the Journalism department and Anthropology department created an education program aimed to teach youth in the Buddhist Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan about media literacy. After spending months creating the program, Alex traveled to Bhutan to teach the course along with faculty and students. While at Duquesne, Alex focused his studies on growth mindset, where he worked with middle school students, helping them to build their self-efficacy to advance their academic achievements. During this time Alex taught middle school English Language Arts as well as Social Studies in the Pittsburgh public school district.
Alex enjoys sharing all aspect of history with his students, but primarily enjoys the stories of unique individuals throughout history. Through learning about real life people and their past, Alex believes students can place themselves throughout history. Outside of school Alex enjoys playing guitar and hiking with his fiancé and two dogs.
Valeria Dyman
Physics and Math Teacher
Valeria joined Northern in 2018 after working for one year in NYC public schools and late for five years in the Minisink Valley and Warwick Valley School Districts. Prior to that, she taught math and physics at a Russian public school.
At Northern, Valeria teaches Algebra 2, Calculus, and Physics. She has a Baccalaureate in Physics and a Master of Science in Radio Physics and Electronics from Lobachevsky State University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and a Master of Arts in Education from Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY.
Valeria loves sharing the beauty of math and physics with all of her students. She loves classical music and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and four children.
Parul Patel
Science and Biology Teacher
Mrs. Patel has joined our team at Northern Academy of the Arts well into her 9th year of teaching. She is highly motivated and passionate about teaching science at both the middle and high school levels. She attended Temple University and earned her Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus in Biology in 2008, a Master’s of Science in Special Education from Gwynedd-Mercy in 2013, and English as a Second Language (ESL) Certification from Penn State in 2014.
Primarily having worked in an inner city Title 1 setting, Mrs. Patel has geared her educational approach to making students lifelong learners. Therefore, they will be able to successfully defy stereotypes, challenge their mindset, and create a road to their success.
Tim Sun
Math Teacher
Tim Sun holds a B.Sc. in Information and Control Systems from Shanghai Jiaotong University in China and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Prior to joining Northern as a math teacher, Tim spent 22 years in industrial settings applying mathematical models to automotive engineering and marketing systems. Tim has a passion for teaching math, as well as other academic subjects.
Tim has designed and conducted professional development programs on Chinese culture and arts for public school teachers and administrators in New York City and New Jersey. He has also provided numerous seminars and presentations on such topics to corporations, schools, libraries, and clubs. Tim is a member of Rotary International.
Jim Luan
Math and Science Teacher
Mr. Luan graduated from Texas A&M University, College Station, with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He received his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from East China University of Science and Technology. Mr. Luan's specialization was 3D modeling and structural design. He received numerous prizes and scholarships for his academic achievements.
Before joining Northern Academy of the Arts, Mr. Luan taught mathematics preparation for GRE and GMAT at New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. At Northern Academy, Mr. Luan teaches Geometry, Math Olympiad, AP Physics 1, and Robotics Engineering.
Anson Zhao
A World Bridge® Instructor
Before joining Northern Academy of the Arts, Mr. Zhao had 21 years of experience working in different multi-national corporations. Anson specialized in e-commerce, computer programming, project management, and business management areas. He then developed a passion for teaching and has used his professional experiences to help students build outstanding work habits. Mr. Zhao was trained to be an instructor for the World Bridge® program at Northern Academy - an international award-winning project-based learning system. He also teaches Web Programming and Marketing courses.
Anson Zhao received a Bachelor of Engineering in Automation at Shanghai University, China, in 1995, and an MBA at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, in 2005.
Robert Platt
English Teacher
Mr. Platt brings to Northern Academy of the Arts an eclectic background in education, which spans an 8-year career. Having taught at a variety of universities, community colleges, independent language schools, and tutoring centers, Mr. Platt has honed his skills as an educator and has developed an authentic desire for teaching.
Maintaining a student-centered approach to teaching, Mr. Platt’s main goal is to see students succeed, both academically and in their personal pursuits by way of ensuring students develop a strong moral fiber so that their dreams can turn to fruition.
Mr. Platt holds a dual B.A. in English and Philosophy with a minor in Special Education from Felician University. Additionally, he has an M.A. in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Writing from Monmouth University and is currently a doctoral (Ph.D.) student at Liberty University; he has also acquired an Advanced TESOL certificate from the American TESOL Institute and has accumulated many hours of Professional Development in the areas of teaching.
Sabrina Presti
Science Teacher
Ms. Sabrina Presti has an extensive knowledge and familiarity of the private school system. Attending private schools from kindergarten through high school she has grown up with the same discipline and expectations we ask of our students at Northern. She graduated from Delaware Valley University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Biology and minor in Education. She has worked with young people in a variety of setting in other schools including sports teams, after school clubs, and volunteer committees, as well as spending time after graduation in special needs education. She has a passion for learning and wants to inspire her students every day to find their own passion in their school work.
Matthew Stufano
Social Studies Teacher
Matt Stufano received his bachelor’s degree from Oswego State University in 2016 in Adolescent Education with a concentration in Social Studies. He followed up his 4 years at Oswego with a 5th year to secure his Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Since graduation, he has returned to the Hudson Valley and has spent time in multiple districts, teaching a wide variety of subjects and taking on many roles in the classroom.
Outside of the classroom, Matt loves the sport of Rowing (or Crew), and has coached Rowing teams and led some of his teams to championship.