Faculty Bios
Alba, Caroline
High School Mathematics and Chemistry
Ms. Alba received her BS in electrical engineering and computer science from the Institut de Chimie Physique et Informatique in Lyon, France. She met her husband in San Francisco while working on her thesis project for her degree. After obtaining her degree, she became a teacher while starting her family. Ms. Alba passed the CAPES, a minimum examination requirement for professional teachers in France, and the AGREGATION, probably the most rigorous examination requirement to teach at the university level. She then taught physics and chemistry at Lyon high school for ten years. Ms. Alba is currently enrolled in the Rudolf Steiner College High School Teacher Training Program. She has three daughters in grades eleven, ten and five, and a son in three.
Albrecht, Renate
German
Renate Albrecht received her teaching degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany in 1982 and a diploma of American Studies from Smith College, Mass. She taught German for the Defense Language Institute for several years. After directing the Language Lab at Stanford University for over a decade and teaching courses at Stanford and the College of San Mateo, she joined SFWS in 2005 as the German teacher at the grade school.
Apana, Karen
High School Dean, Student Mentor
Ms. Apana attended San Francisco State University where she received her BA in humanities in 1969, and her MA in education and lifetime California teaching credential through the Teacher Corps Cycle V in 1970 and 1971. In 1978-81 Ms. Apana trained and apprenticed with Meir Schneider Ph.D. and the Center for Self-Healing where she received California Massage Certification. She continues to maintain her therapeutic bodywork private practice. Ms. Apana is also a practicing artist and specializes in hand-building vessels and sculptures and intuitive painting. She has studied at Ft. Mason Art Center of S.F. City College (1986-1991). In 1997 Karen received her Ph.D. from the California Institute of Integral Studies, from the School of Transformative Learning with an emphasis in Consciousness, Education and Transformation. Her dissertation is called: Following the Inner Compass: researching dreams, art and intuitive experiences. She also teaches biography and parent workshops. Ms. Apana is a founding parent of San Francisco Waldorf School from which her son, Ravi graduated with the first class in 1988.
Burket, John
Biology, Geology and Math, 9th Grade Sponsor
Mr. Burket received his Ph.D. in soil science from Oregon State University, his MS in biology from the University of Oregon and his BA in geology from the University of Vermont. After graduating from college, Mr. Burket took over the ownership of his family’s farm in Pennsylvania, converting it to an organic grain and livestock operation. During this time he also earned his teaching certificate in biology and general science and taught science for two years in a public high school. He completed his Foundation Year at the Eugene Waldorf Teacher Training Program and taught math and science blocks in the eighth grade at the Eugene Waldorf School. Mr. Burket completed the High School Teaching Program through Rudolf Steiner College in 2000.
Boyce, David
World Music
David spent his formative years in NYC soaking up the city's vast multi-cultural offerings. After being bitten by the jazz bug in elementary school he learned to play the saxophone. It quickly became the focus of his non-academic endeavors. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations, taught school in the Bronx and moved out to San Francisco just in time for the Loma Prieta earthquake. Living in the Bay Area inspired him to pursue music as a full time obsession. He founded the world renowned avant jazz group Broun Fellinis (16 years running) and is an active free lance musician involved in many musical pursuits that range from straight ahead jazz to hiphop to afrobeat to experimental electronic music. His music has taken him to Europe, Japan and Canada as well as around the US.
Capers, Eleanor
Outdoor Education
Ellie Capers Jenkins received her B.A. degree from Antioch University, Yellow Springs, Ohio and her Masters in Education from Antioch-Keene, New Hampshire. Married for 23 years, she and her husband have two sons. Morgan graduated from SFWHS in 2004 and Gwili is in the class of 2008. Ellie completed the Waldorf Teacher Training in 2005 from the Rudolf Steiner College program here at our school. For 31 years she has worked in experiential outdoor programs throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Carini, Paolo
Mathematics and Physics, 10th Grade Sponsor
Dr. Carini received his BA in physics at the University of Rome in 1988. He then moved to the United States to continue his research in theoretical physics at Stanford University, California, where he later received his Ph.D. in physics. His interest in Waldorf education started when his wife, Lalla, entered the Waldorf Teacher Training program in San Francisco. Later, he lived in Massachusetts where he worked for two years at Amherst College with Professor Arthur Zajonc on problems of crystal growth and pattern formation. Dr. Carini completed his Waldorf Teacher Training in the San Francisco Teacher Training Program.
Evans, Addie
Mathematics
Ms. Evans went to Waldorf school for most of her K-12 education, graduating from Summerfield Waldorf High School in 1999. She went on to study mathematics for her Bachelor's and Master's degree, at Antioch College and San Francisco State University respectively. She has a particular interest in mathematics and nature, including ecology and genetics. Ms. Evans taught at the high school and college level before beginning teaching at SFWHS. She lives in San Francisco with her cat named Epsilon Greater Than Zero.
Forrer, Elena
Painting
Sra. Forrer attended University Complutense of Madrid, Sciences of Education, from 1976 to 1979. Sra. Forrer also attended Madrid University School of Applied Arts and graduated in 1982. Before coming to SFWS, she taught in Madrid, then moved to San Anselmo and taught Adult Education at Mount Tam High School and Spanish at Marin Country Day School. In March of 1998, she completed a Teachers' Equivalency Training through Rudolf Steiner College. During the spring of 2000, Sra. Forrer, in cooperation with other Spanish teachers, published a book entitled Cenderos for Spanish language teachers in the Waldorf Schools. Her family includes her husband, Christian, and a daughter who graduated from SFWS.
Gierlach, Paul
Humanities
Paul Gierlach has an undergraduate and graduate degree from St. Vincent's College and York University, respectively, and completed his Waldorf teacher training at the Waldorf Institute of Mercy College in Detroit. He has taught in Waldorf elementary and high schools for over 25 years and in teacher training programs throughout the U.S. He was the founding and lead teacher of the Honolulu Waldorf High school for six years. For the last ten years -since receiving his remedial training - he has worked in the classroom and as a remedial tutor with students from grades 4.
Golant, Aimee
Metal Arts
Aimee Golant is a sixth generation Metalsmith, currently based in San Francisco, California. She began studying jewelry fabrication and Silversmithing at California State University, San Francisco in 1992. Upon her graduation in 1996 she began her career as an independent metal artist making Judaica and Jewelry. She traveled to juried shows in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore selling her unique metal art nationally.
Some of the major honors Aimee has earned include the Jewish Museum of New York acquiring one of her evocative mezuzahs for its permanent collection, her Barbed Wire Mezuzah traveled into outer space on the Columbia Space Shuttle, she won the esteemed NICHE Award for her Bars and Windows Menorah, she received the Golden Hammer Award for her outstanding community service through the San Francisco Bay Area Metal Arts Guild. Most recently she has been awarded the commission to create the crown for the Women’s Torah Project which is the very first certified Torah ever scribed by women.
Her teaching experience includes pioneering the Metal Art program at the San Francisco Waldorf High School, teaching adults and inner city youth beginning Silversmithing and jewelry fabrication as vocational skills at the Crucible in Oakland, as well as teaching beginning and intermediate jewelry making at Scintillant Studio in San Francisco, and she has several private metal art consulting students who she sees in her studio. She was a guest teacher in the metals department at Woodside Priory in Portola Valley, and in general studies at the Hebrew Academy in San Francisco. She has also taught copper bracelet making with children ranging in age for 4 to 12 through the National Japanese-American Historical Society in San Francisco. For more information about Aimee’s art please visit her website at aimeegolant.com.
Greenlief, Phillip
Music Program Coordinator, Orchestra Director.
Since his emergence on the west coast in the late 1970’s, Evander Music founder Phillip Greenlief has achieved international critical acclaim for his recordings and performances with musicians and composers in the post-jazz continuum as well as new music innovators and virtuosic improvisers. His ever-evolving relationship with the saxophone unfolds with an expansive sound vocabulary, extreme dynamic range, a deep regard for melody and form, and a rollicking humor and wit that is not dissimilar to the Native American Coyote tales.
In addition to numerous commissions and prizes, Mr. Greenlief is a recipient of the San Francisco Bay Guardian Goldie Award for Music. Mr. Greenlief began playing guitar and trumpet in elementary school and explored different instruments before discovering the saxophone in high school. The multi-instrumentalist holds a BA in Music Education and a MA in 20th Century Literature from the University of Southern California and is a former instructor at Stanford University. In addition to a busy performing and recording schedule, he currently teaches saxophone and improvisation at Oakland School for the Arts, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, and is Music Program Coordinator at San Francisco Waldorf High School.
Since 1982, Greenlief has performed internationally with numerous ensembles. In addition to club dates and tours across North America and Europe, he has performed at the 1st Annual John Coltrane Festival in Los Angeles, North Sea Festival in Den Hague; Freiburg Zelt Muzik Festival in Germany; Big Sur Sound Shift; Olympia Experimental Music Festival; Du Maurier Festival in Vancouver, B.C.; Werkstatt for Improvisierte Musik in Zurich; Ulrichsburg Festival and Konfrontation Festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria; 2003 Isole Che Parlano Festival in Sardegna, 2003 Biennale Festival in Venice; International Festival of Arts in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1998 he lived in Saint Petersburg (Russia), where in addition to playing solo he performed and recorded with several jazz groups, singer-songwriter Yelena Kolokolnikova, electronic musician Nadezhda Voskaboynik, and the Russian folk ensemble Dubinushka.
Helland Hansen, Maria
Therapeutic Eurythmist
A native of Norway, Maria worked there with biodynamic agriculture for several years, before leaving to study eurythmy in Sweden from 1981 to 1985. She worked two years at Vidarkliniken, an anthroposophical hospital in Sweden, as eurythmist and assistant nurse. She worked for four years as eurythmy teacher at Lorenskog Waldorf School in Norway. She was also very active in the local performing eurythmy group during this time. In 1992, Maria completed her curative eurythmy training in Dornach, Switzerland, after which she practiced curative eurythmy for a year in Norway.
Ingoglia, Dan
Humanities, Student Council, Model UN
Mr. Ingoglia arrives from Sacramento, where he taught Social Science and Theology at Jesuit High School and held a variety of administrative roles for the past 10 years. He practiced law from 1990-1994 before spending a year in Southeast Asia teaching refugees. Mr. Ingoglia holds a BA in International Relations from UC Davis, a law degree from UOP McGeorge, and a Master’s degree in Contemplative Education from Naropa University. He is very happy to have accepted the position of head of administration, and his three children (ages 11, 9, and 6) have attended Waldorf schools since kindergarten.
Jackson, John
Math, Physical Education
Mr. Jackson completed his Waldorf Teacher Training at Emerson College in 1983. He taught for 15 years at the Summerfield Waldorf School in Santa Rosa before coming to the San Francisco Waldorf School in 2001. He was a class teacher for 11 years, and now teaches math, physical education and coaches after-school sports. Mr. Jackson has a son in eleventh grade.
Kuschner, Deborah
Humanities and Arts
After attending the American College in Paris, Ms. Kuschner earned her teaching degree in French and English from the School of Education at the University of Kansas.She then taught advanced French and English literature classes at the public highschool level before venturing into the world of international business. In 1986 Ms.Kuschner founded her own graphic design firm in Minneapolis, where she and her staff of graphic designers, foreign language translators and cultural consultants have worked for over twenty years creating global marketing materials for multi-national corporations and their overseas subsidiaries. Ms. Kuschner also completed the Foundation Program in Fine Art Photography at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and earned her MA in Art and Society from Hamline University, with a specialty in 20th century Russian and Eastern European Art History. Ms. Kuschner currently teaches Art History, Russian Literature, and Photography at San Francisco Waldorf High School, and is currently working toward the completion of her Waldorf Teacher Training at Rudolf Steiner College. She also enjoys creating her own photographic and mixed media artwork, in addition to being an active member on the San Francisco Waldorf School Board of Trustees. Ms. Kuschner has three grown children, one daughter and two sons. Her youngest son, Michael, is a graduate of SFWHS, Class of 2006.
McGill, Mary Anne
Librarian
Ms. McGill, originally from Rhode Island, has a BA in History and Classical Studies from Rhode Island College and a master's degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She has worked in London, England and Cuernavaca, Mexico. For the past eleven years, she has managed the World Affairs Council of Northern California's Library; planned and produced a weekly "Meet the Author" program series for NPR; and, presented documentary photography exhibitions on international affairs. She has also worked as a Librarian in academic, public, and corporate libraries in the San Francisco Bay Area. She joined our staff in 2006 and has a son in preschool.
Renegar, Cynthia
Mathematics
Dr. Renegar received her Ph.D. in mathematics from Tulane University, in New Orleans. Two years later she moved to Scotland where she completed the Waldorf Teacher Training program at the Rudolf Steiner School of Edinburgh. She has taught mathematics at a number of colleges and universities, and has taught in Waldorf high schools for the past six years.
Sargent, Lisa
All-School Choir, Chamber Chorus
Ms. Sargent was born in Palo Alto, grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in music-voice from the University of Denver. Prior to joining SFWS, Lisa worked as a trainer for a museum collections software company, training museum registrars and curators in report design. She began working at SFWS in 2000 in the library, became a kindergarten apprentice in 2004, and has begun to teach music in the grade school this year, as well as vocal music at SF Waldorf High School. Lisa graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in the summer of 2006, and has also joined their faculty to teach singing. She is a member of the Pacific Mozart Ensemble in Berkeley. Ms. Sargent and her husband, Jack have two children, Alyssa in first grade and Trevor in seventh.
Thiersch, Astrid
Eurythmy
Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Ms. Thiersch attended the Kräherwald Waldorf School, and completed her eurythmy training at the Eurythmeum Stuttgart with Else Klink in 1982. She then joined the professional Eurythmeum Stage Group, performing throughout Europe, Britain and the United States for four years. During this time, she also taught in the Eurythmeum and gave classes for the workers at the Dr. Hauschka Pharmaceutical Company. Since coming to America in 1986, Ms. Thiersch has taught eurythmy from kindergarten through grade twelve, and has given performances with her high school students in the U.S., Japan and in Europe.
Townsend, Patricia
Arts Program Coordinator, Weaving, Basketry, Bookmaking
Ms. Townsend received her BA in psychology from California State University, Humboldt in 1975 with a California Child Care Credential. In 1978 she studied Weaving at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, in Maine, followed by completion of a Textile Arts Program at Fiberworks Center for the Textile Arts in Berkeley. For four years she taught preschool in Boston. After moving back to the Bay Area she worked twelve years as a commercial toy designer, having started her own business. Ms. Townsend is a graduate from Rudolf Steiner College Teacher Training Program in San Francisco. From 1991 to 1997 she taught kindergarten at our school. She began teaching in our high school when it opened, and now teaches Weaving, Basketry, and Bookbinding. Her two sons are SFWS “lifers”, both having attended kindergarten through 12th grade.
