Our Teachers

Dr. Anna Charny, MWSM Director
and one of its Founders, received her Ph.D. and M.S. 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 and includes teaching at RSM for a period of time. She is a co-founder and the first Chair of the Board of Trustees of Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough, MA, where she continues to serve as the Chair of the Committee on Education. 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 regular career of a researcher working on advanced algorithms and protocols for the Next Generation Internet at Cisco Systems. She has authored many academic papers and holds over two dozen US patents.

Ms. Jose Schroen-Levine has a BS 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-Levine has been teaching in the public school system for the last 9 years. This year Ms. Schroen-Levine 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-Levine teaches high school math at MWSM.

Mrs. Purnima Vadhera holds the degree of Master of Education in Administration, Planning & Social Policy  from Harvard University. She has over 14 years of experience in teaching Mathematics, Biology & Honors Physics in Brookline High School. Mrs. Vadhera, who has 2 children at MWSM, teaches middle school math at MWSM.

Mr. Bhanu (Ben) Vadhera holds the degree of Master of Technology in Computer Science and taught Mathematics and Computer courses in India.  Mr. Vadhera,  who is a Member of Institute of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), is a seasoned software engineer and at present associated with Harvard IT & infrastructure group. Mr. Vadhera has been teaching middle school math at MWSM

Mr. Alexander Sukher holds  M.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Kharkov State University in Ukraine. He has  successfully 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. 

Mrs. Alla Farizon holds Masters 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.

Mr. 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 kids or attending classes at Framingham State College.

Ms. Irina Nesterenko, a Biology and Biotechnology student at WPI in Worcester,  is an alumna of Russian School of mathematics where she has been tutoring and teaching students for several years.  Irina is teaching middle school math classes at MWSM

Masha believes strongly that only a student enjoying the process of learning a language and literature might achieve desirable success in these most important areas of human experience. Masha builds the relationships with her students and their families on a hard to define feeling that Rudyard Kipling called “ insatiable curiosity”.

Amy Bernstein Studied Gifted Education at the University of Virginia, receiving her Masters in Education 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. Her story and math book for gifted students, Time Machine Math, comes out this April with Prufrock Press. She lives in Framingham with her husband and two daughters, her dog, two cats, lizard and turtle.

Dr. 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 math professor 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.

Ms. Amy McCormack began teaching immediately after graduating with a degree in Education from Salve Regina University. She spent 6 years teaching first grade at Cornerstone Academy, where she focused her instruction to meet the developmental needs of her gifted and talented students. While teaching, she earned her Masters in Education from Anna Maria College. She is now the proud mother of two small children. On the rare occasion that she is not with her children, Amy can be found at Cornerstone Academy acting as a mentor for new teachers and a curriculum consultant. Amy loves spending time with her family, exercising and reading.

Ms. Natalia Shemelina received her Masters degree in applied mathematics and computer science from Novosibirsk University in Russia. Ms. Shemelina has worked for several years as a software engineer in Russia and in the US. She believes that quality education is one of the best assets that parents can give to their child. She teaches middle school math at MWSM.

Mr. Roger Selsov holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he spent three years as a teaching assistant in calculus. Roger encourages his students to take an active role in their education, engage in discussions, collaborate with one another and always ask “why” or “what if”. Roger teaches middle school math at M

WSM.

Ms. Anna Makovoz has a M.S in Mathematics and Physics from Kamenets-Podolsky State University, Ukraine.

She has over 15 years of successful experience teaching mathematics in different countries: Russia, Israel, Canada, USA. Anna was recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Education, she received a Certificate of Excellency for outstanding results that her students achieved. Most of Anna’s students finished or currently studying in the best universities around the world. She teaches middle and high school mathematics at MWSM.

Mr. Lou Mercuri,  Chess Master.
- I am actively teaching chess in the Boston area and in Metrowest. My students continue to improve and play at the highest levels for their age groups. As an example, currently 6 of my students are rated in the top 100 for their age group in the US and compete in National Scholastic Championships.

As a player, I am a US Life Master and my rating has peaked at 2404 (Senior Master). I 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. I am among the first chess trainers in the United States to be awarded this title by FIDE, the International Chess Organization. Leading chess trainers and coaches around the world are also being certified by FIDE to formalize and standardize the methods and qualifications for chess instruction.

Ms. Maryanne Reilly has taught scholastic chess in public and private schools in the Boston area for ten years. She was recently elected t o her third term as President of the Massachusetts Chess Association, where she has served as Scholastic Coordinator for the last six years.

Ms. Molly Kooshan is currently pursuing a degree in Mathematics with a minor in Secondary Education at Framingham State College. When she is not in class, she tutors college students in math. She has always had a passion for mathematics and loves working with children.