Our Teachers

Dr. Anna Charny, MWSM Managing Director and one of its Founders, received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from MIT. She has a lifelong interest in teaching advanced mathematics to primary and secondary school children. Her teaching and tutoring experience ranges from elementary to graduate school. She is a co-founder and the first Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA) Charter School in Marlborough, MA, where she subsequently served for many years on the Board of Trustees. Dr. Charny also serves on the Advisory Board of Computer Science Unplugged, a non-profit organization developing methods and materials for teaching computer science algorithms for elementary and middle school students. Dr. Charny’s passion for quality math and science education comes on top of her career of a researcher in the area of advanced algorithms and protocols for the Next Generation Internet. She has authored many academic publications, contributed to a number of Internet standards, and authored 36 US patents.

Jose Schroen has a B.S. in chemical engineering and an MBA. Her experience has been in the pharmaceutical industry, construction and commodity chemicals as a project engineer/manager. Ms. Schroen has been teaching in the public school system for the last 9 years. This year Ms. Schroen teaches AP calculus AB and introductory physics at Shrewsbury High school. She has also tutored for the past 12 years for the Shrewsbury school system those students who for medical reasons could not be in school.  Ms. Schroen teaches high school math at MWSM.

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Purnima Vadhera holds the Masters degree in Education in Administration, Planning & Social Policy  from Harvard University. She has over 16 years of experience in teaching Mathematics, Biology & Honors Physics and ELA in various public schools including Brookline High School. She is currently the Principal in Somerville Public Schools. Purnima is Kaplan-certified in Verbal and Math. Mrs. Vadhera has 2 children at MWSM, and teaches elementary school math and Creative Writing at MWSM.

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Alexander Sukher holds  M.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Kharkov State University in Ukraine. He has worked for more than 30 years in  research and engineering,  and has an extensive  teaching experience in Unites States and Europe.  He has authored and a co-author multiple works in the Computer Numerical Control Systems theory and in the Applied Approximation Theory.  His  hobby is the sport of badminton, and he is a participant and a winner of  many MA badminton tournaments. In 2006 he won the bronze in US National Senior Badminton Championship.  Mr. Sukher teachers middle and high school math at MWSM.

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Alla Farizon holds an M.S. degree in Economics.
She has a passion for teaching children and has taught elementary and middle school math at RSM and MWSM for several years.  In addition, she  has been training MWSM junior MOEMS team.   Mrs. Farizon also serves as  MWSM Business Manager.

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Gene Sigalovsky,  our elementary school teacher who is adored by his students,  has been with MWSM for several years.  He is passionate for teaching children – and they respond by developing true love for mathematics and making fast progress.  He loves a good workout in a gym when he is not teaching his students or attending classes at Framingham State College.

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Dr. Dmitry Vedensky has a M.S. in Finance from Boston College and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Israel Institute of Technology. He has a passion for teaching advanced math. His experience includes teaching and tutoring students from middle to graduate school in Russia, Israel and U.S. and spans over 20 years. Dmitry's research interests are in Quantitative Finance. He has authored a number of academic publications and presented the results of his research in many countries around the world.

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Nancy Cahn has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and a M.S. in Engineering Management from Northeastern University. She holds the Massachusetts Teaching License in Secondary Mathematics. She has experience teaching math to all ages of students in both private and public schools. She cares deeply about mathematics education and efforts to improve the teaching and learning of math. Her experience includes working as an Industrial Engineer and Software Engineer. In her spare time, you'll find her on the tennis courts playing and coaching Middle School tennis.

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Alfiya Yakupova
holds a MS degree in Mathematics from Bashkir State University, Russia and a BS degree in Computer Science from Framingham State University. She has her MTEL for middle and high school. Mrs.Yakupova worked as a math teacher and tutor in Russia. In the United States, her experience has included private tutoring, volunteer and substitute teaching in middle and high schools in Massachusetts, and working with college students at New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mrs.Yakupova has also worked as a senior software engineer. Mrs.Yakupova is passionate about math education and teaching young people. Outside of the classroom, Mrs.Yakupova enjoys fine and performing arts, traveling, and working out at the gym.

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Dr. Shanhong Ji
has a Ph.D in Engineering from University of California, Irvine. He is currently a reaserch and development engineer in the field of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Dr. Ji loves teaching, and is passionate about solving all kinds of mathematical problems and puzzles with children. Shanhong enjoys playing all kinds of board games and he is good at Chinese Chess, Bridge and Go.

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Joyce Michel graduated from Yale with a BA in English--but in her high school she was a top math team competitor. She has worked as a research assistant in areas as diverse as pharmacology, patent law, and cognitive psychology--where she helped design and conduct intelligence tests. She has taught many things from violin to Hebrew, and she homeschooled her three children for many years. This is her third year at RSM-MetroWest. In her free time, Joyce enjoys solving puzzles, doing historical research, and running.

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Irina Smilyanski received her Bachelor Degree in Science and Masters Degree in Applied Mathematics from Kharkov State University in Ukraine. She worked as a mathematics and special education teacher after college. Currently she is pursuing her second Masters Degree in Public Health and Health Education from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science while working in healthcare. She believes that logical thinking and analytical skills that come with excelling in mathematics at an early age can be of a great value for any careers her students might choose later in their lives. In her free time she enjoys company of her family, long walks with her dog and traveling.

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Justin Fetterman Justin holds a Massa-chusetts teaching license in high school English and works for the Wellesley Public School system. He earned his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, studying both English and philosophy. Currently, he is a creative writing M.F.A. candidate at Emerson College. He has written and edited both fiction and non-fiction for literary magazines and city newspapers,and is currently at work on his first novel.

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Raquel Gelber has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Computer Science Certificate from Northeastern University and a Master of Education from Lesley University. A longtime volunteer teacher, she has recently chosen teaching as her prime occupation, and has taught math at Westborough Middle school. Her passion about Math and love for helping and teaching children has brought her to RSM-MetroWest. She enjoys walking, hiking, music, and loves to play chess.

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Susan Spence
This will be Mrs. Spence’s second year teaching at RSM. Last year she taught grades 4-7 at the RSM in Newton. Mrs. Spence was attracted to RSM’s philosophy that focuses on true mastery of the mathematical skills and concepts which are critical to a student’s success. RSM’s positive approach to developing these skills through in active learning and mentoring makes it a special place to teach. As a certified elementary and middle school mathematics teacher, Mrs. Spence has taught students in the fifth through ninth grades. In addition to holding a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Elementary Education, she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance. Before becoming a teacher Mrs. Spence worked as a consultant and analyst in the energy industry. She is excited to be teaching at MWSM where critical thinking and mathematical concepts are taught to be an important part of everyday life. She often reminds students that “Life is a Word Problem.” This year she hopes to share her enthusiasm and passion for the subject with your child.

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Karla Talanian is the Associate Director at RSM-MetroWest. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Advanced Math & Science Academy from 2009 - 2012, and served as the Chair of its Education Committee since from 2010 - 2012. She also served as Chair of the Curriculum Enrichment Committee in the Harvard Public Schools from 2004 to 2008. Ms. Talanian worked in product development in the biotechnology industry for a number of years. She earned both an MBA and a Master of Science in Biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Smith College. She also was a professional fitness trainer, and has written many articles for her local newspaper on keeping fit.

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Amy Bernstein Studied Gifted Education at the University of Virginia, receiving her M.Ed. degree there in 1989. Since that time she has run academically gifted programs in Waltham and Pepperell, and taught and tutored gifted students in both Math and English. She has published a math book geared to gifted children in 3-5 grade.  It is called Time Travel Math and was published by Prufrock Press.  Ms. Bernstein is also a teacher trainer for Catapult learning.  She trains teachers in public and private school in the art of differentiation and working with high ability students.

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Amanda Hattaway has a Sc.B. in Mathematics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has over 10 years of experience teaching mathematics. In addition to teaching at MWSM, she is a Chair of Math Department at Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) in Boston. She is also the founder and director of "Students Loving Adventures in Mathematics" (SLAM), an after-school math enrichment program for high school students, sponsored by WIT and the Mathematical Association of America.

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Dr. Dong Jia has a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Besides his regular career as a software engineer, he is passionate about teaching children to solve problems and enjoy math. Dr. Jia is teaching middle school math at MWSM. He is also training the MWSM junior MOEMS team.

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Irene Kamergorodsky received her M.S.degree in Education from Kharkov National University, Ukraine, and her Massachusetts Teacher License (Elementary 1-6) from Framingham State College. She worked as an interpreter-translator in the Soviet Trade Mission in Aden, South Yemen for 3 years, and taught for 20 years in public and private schools overseas (Georgia, Ukraine, and India). Since 1999, she has been working in Massachusetts public schools for 11 consecutive years, and in Russian School of Mathematics since 2005. Mrs. Kamergorodsky joined Metro West School of Mathematics in summer 2010. School is her life, and she couldn't be more passionate about teaching. She believes that every child can learn, feel comfortable, and have fun. In her spare time, Mrs. Kamergorodsky enjoys walking, swimming, playing tennis, playing the piano, and travelling around the world.

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Lou Mercuri, our chess master, is actively teaching chess in the Boston area and in MetroWest. His students continue to improve and play at the highest levels for their age groups. Currently six of his students are rated in the top 100 for their age group in the US and compete in National Scholastic Championships. As a player, he is a US Life Master and his rating has peaked at 2404 (Senior Master). He was awarded the International Title of FIDE Trainer at the Turin, Italy Olympiad in May 2006. This selective title is awarded to experienced chess coaches and trainers at the 2350 rating level. He is among the first chess trainers in the United States to be awarded this title by FIDE, the International Chess Organization.

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Svetlana Trishina has her MS degree in Engineering (cum laude) from the University of Yekaterinburg, with postgraduate studies at Erasmus University of Rotterdam. She enjoys mathematics and math competitions since her youth, and has been tutoring children in math and music for many years on top of her regular engineering and management career. She likes to travel, read, play the piano, and enjoys figure skating. She likes to work and play with children.

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Petra Zoettler holds a M.S. in Education for Mathematics and Physics from Martin-Luther-University, Germany. She has over 16 years of experience teaching mathematics, physics, computer science at middle and high school level in Germany. She also taught at the German International School in Boston. Petra enjoys teaching math at middle and high school level at the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough for the 6th year.

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Lata Varghese holds a Bachelor of Science (Honor's) degree in Physics and a Bachelor's degree in Education from the Regional College of Education, Rajasthan, India. She has taught Physics and Math to Middle and High School students in a Senior Secondary High School at Delhi in India for over 13 years. Teaching for all these years has been an enriching experience for her and she pursues to cultivate a love for learning and respect for others while embracing diversity and excellence in Education.

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Dr. Oscar J. Borenstein
joined MWSM after teaching Advanced Calculus and SAT preparation at the Russian School of Mathematics in Newton. His experience of teaching and tutoring mathematics spans elementary school to college, and his students are rewarded with conceptual knowledge and high scores. Oscar's passion for teaching kids comes with a natural approach to mathematics as a language of discovery rather than as a set of tools and rules. Dr. Borenstein is deeply proficient in several fields of classical and modern math. His Ph.D. in Mathematics was written on the Theory of Games. Also, he holds an M.S. in Computer Science and is CEO and co-founder of Advant Technologies Group, a company involved in the development of next-generation behavioral models and other mathematical and programming projects. His academic research belongs to several areas of mathematics, where he has won awards and has authored about 60 publications.

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Paul Ayvazian received a BS in Mathematics from Pepperdine University in 2009. He has tutored extensively in the Massachusetts No Child Left Behind Program and is passionate about helping children excel in Mathematics. Mr. Ayvazian holds a preliminary license in Middle and High-school Mathematics and is actively pursuing a career in Mathematics education. In addition to teaching at RSM-MetroWest, Paul enjoys making and selling functional ceramics at Feet of Clay Pottery Studio in Brookline. His hobbies include tennis, running, and playing the guitar.

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Barb Foisy received her BA from Cornell University and worked for sixteen years for International Business Machines, applying her mathematical and technical skills in the computer industry.  She also consulted for Addison Wesley Publishing Company to ensure curriculum alignment to the state mathematics frameworks.  For the last ten years, she has been teaching and tutoring Math in Grades 2-11 in Holliston and Hopkinton, MA. She loves being outdoors, skiing, hiking and biking in her spare time.

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Oxana Longinova holds a Master’s Degree in International Credit and Monetary Relationships from the University of International Relations in Moscow, and a M.S. in Project Management degree from Boston University where she is currently teaching in their Master of Science programs. Living and working in different countries (she came to the USA from Norway) combined with a genuine love of teaching has allowed her to create several tutoring programs in math and E.L.A. for young children that bring out the best from the multiple educational systems she was exposed to. Mrs. Longinova will be teaching elementary school math at RSM-MetroWest.

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Eva Honig has received a M.S. degree in Econometrics at the University of Latvia.  She worked in the financial services industry both as a systems analyst and an advisor.  Eva teaches here and also is the Human Resources Manager.  Even in her leisure time Eva prefers an active lifestyle; she enjoys attending the performing arts, playing various sports, reading, and philosophical discussion. She is also a fabulous cook—she regularly prepares traditional and elaborate meals from scratch to share with family and friends.

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Marina Dobruskina is a professional Mathematician and Computer Scientist with Master’s Degree from Nizhny Novgorod State University, Russia. Besides her extensive software engineer carrier, she has been tutoring children and adults in math and computer science in Russia, Canada and USA. She loves to share her passion for mathematics and spend time with kids. In her free time she enjoys music, poetry, art and sport.

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