Suffield Academy ~ Academic Deans & Chairs

List of 3 members.

Sara Yeager

Dean of Academics and Faculty

Colby College - B.A.
Trinity College - M.A.

syeager@suffieldacademy.org
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Over the last 30 plus years, Sara has served in virtually every role on an independent school campus. She has been a senior administrator for both academics and student life, worked in admissions and development, taught history and English, lived in residence halls, and coached many teams. Growing up in Massachusetts, Sara always wanted to be a teacher. She was an honors student at Colby College and earned 12 varsity letters (field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse). She captained all three teams her senior year and her number is retired from Colby College athletics. As a teacher and educator, Sara has received widespread recognition. She was awarded a grant from the National Council for Humanities to develop a school curriculum focusing on local history and has been a presenter at the SSATB and TABS Annual meetings. She was named Suffield’s Dean of Academics and Faculty in 2018.
In her spare time, Sara enjoys watching and participating in sports, cooking, and reading—either in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire or Juno Beach, Florida. Each year Sara aims to read about 75 books, of both the fiction and non-fiction variety. Favorite reads from summer 2018 include: Outline and Transit (Cusk), A Gentleman in Moscow (Towles), The Great Alone (Hannah), The Flight Attendant (Bohjalian), Alternate Side (Quindlen), Educated (Westover), Drinking the Rain (Shulman), and American Marriage (Jones). She lives on campus with her son Robert.
Phil Hodosy

Assistant Academic Dean

St. Lawrence University - B.A.

phodosy@suffieldacademy.org
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Phil grew up in upstate New York and attended St. Lawrence University. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and was a member of the crew team for four years. After graduating from St. Lawrence, Phil went on to Indian Mountain School where he was the class dean, a history teacher, dorm parent, and varsity soccer, squash, and tennis coach. Phil joined the Suffield community as Assistant Academic Dean, a history teacher, dorm parent, and crew coach in 2018.
During his free time, Phil enjoys boating, hiking, tennis, traveling, cooking, and reading. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and is living in Rockwell Hall.
Benjamin Morgan ’06

Assistant Academic Dean

Hobart College - B.A.
Bread Loaf School of English - M.A.

bmorgan@suffieldacademy.org
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After graduating from Suffield in 2006, Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Hobart College. He then moved to Spain and spent two years working as an ESL tutor and teacher’s assistant at I.E.S. Joaquin Rodrigo, a public high school located just outside of Madrid.
Following his time in Spain, Ben worked for two years at Hyde School in Woodstock, Connecticut. He taught English and English as a Second Language and was a football and basketball coach. Ben worked in Suffield’s Academic Support office for three years and is now Assistant Academic Dean. Ben earned a master’s degree from Bread Loaf School of English in 2018.
Ben is the dorm head in Fuller Hall and the coach of the boys’ junior varsity lacrosse team. He also teaches a section of English and Spanish.

List of 3 members.

Allison Henle

Waskiewicz Chair in Mathematics

Yale University - B.A.
Dartmouth College - Ph.D. *

allison_henle@suffieldacademy.org
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Allison earned her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics at Yale University and served as a teaching assistant while a doctoral student at Dartmouth College. In 2002, she attended the Klingenstein Summer Program. Allison joined Suffield’s Math Department in 2006 after teaching for the previous seven years at Mercersberg Academy. She currently teaches Linear Algebra, Advanced Placement Calculus, and Advanced Placement Statistics, but has taught many different classes over the course of her career.
In addition to teaching, Allison coaches junior varsity girls’ tennis and is a dorm associate in Barnes House. She is also the chair of the math department. She lives a block off campus with her husband Fred, their sons Miles ’21 and Theo, and their dog Quinten. Allison is an avid reader who enjoys knitting, baking, and cheering for the Red Sox.
Volker Krasemann

Chair, Science Department

Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Univeritat - B.A., M.S.
Montana State University - M.S.

VKrasemann@suffieldacademy.org
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Volker grew up in Greifswald, Germany, a part of the former East Germany. He is a graduate of EMA University in Greifswald. After the Wall came down, Volker traveled in the West and decided to attend graduate school at Montana State University, where he earned a Master of Science degree. He enjoyed his three years in the mountains of Big Sky country taking photographs, hiking, and spending hours in the lab. After too much time in the lab, Volker left Montana and headed east to teach at Taft School for four years. He spends his summers traveling in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Now in his 19th year at Suffield, Volker enjoys teaching physics, coaching track, and living on campus with his wife Beth, and their children Daniel ’19 and Emma ’21.
Gis-Ximena Nahmens

Chair of the Languages Department

Universidad Catolica Andres Bello - B.A.
Rochester Institute of Technology - M.S.

Gis-Xi_Nahmens@suffieldacademy.org
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Gis-Xi joined Suffield’s Languages Department as a Spanish teacher in 2005, and appointed International Student Coordinator in 2018. Gis-Xi has lived, worked, and studied in Venezuela, Switzerland, and the United States. She graduated from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Venezuela, where she earned a degree in education and pedagogical sciences. She also earned a master’s degree in human resource development from Rochester Institute of Technology.
From the teaching world, Gis-Xi made a foray into a career in human resources, starting at Grupo G.A.N.B. in Caracas, before moving to the United States to attend RIT. In addition to teaching, Gis-Xi enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring other cultures, and traveling.

List of 6 members.

Bryan Brissette

Chair, History Department

Harvard University - A.B.
Northeastern University - M.A.
Trinity College - M.A.

bbrissette@suffieldacademy.org
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Bryan was raised in Burrillville, Rhode Island, where he attended public high school before a postgraduate year at The Loomis Chaffee School. From Loomis, he went on to Harvard, where he majored in government and was honored with a place on the Dean’s List and named as a Paul E. Weissman Scholar. Bryan played on Harvard’s baseball team, receiving second team All-Ivy honors as a catcher. After Harvard, Bryan earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University and served as a United States Secret Service agent. He joined the Suffield faculty in 2000.
While working at Suffield, Bryan earned a master’s degree in history from Trinity College. He teaches US History and electives on the Civil War, twentieth century warfare, the Atlantic slave trade, and modern Middle Eastern history. Additionally, he serves as the head varsity baseball coach and as an assistant coach for the varsity football team. Bryan lives on campus with his wife Chrissy and their daughter Reese.
Bill Butcher

Chair, Visual Arts Department

Drake University - B.F.A.
Drake University - M.F.A.

Bill_Butcher@suffieldacademy.org
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Bill holds degrees from the Drake University School of Fine Arts, where he studied painting with internationally recognized artists Jules Kirschenbaum and Cornelis Ruhtenberg. He joined the visual arts faculty at Suffield in 1980 and shared 14 years with master artist and teacher Mario Vincenti, who retired in 1993. Bill created the sculpture and woodwork program and spearheaded the afternoon art special portfolio program. The visual arts department he now chairs has four faculty members encompassing a vigorous foundation program, ceramics, traditional and digital photography, digital art, painting, sculpture, and woodwork.
Bill is a practicing and exhibiting painter and sculptor who has received numerous awards including several solo and group exhibitions in New York City galleries, solo exhibitions at the Slater Memorial Museum and the Richmond Art Center in Connecticut, and inclusion in numerous national invitational exhibitions. Bill’s work is in several public and private collections in the United States, Bermuda, England, Germany, Jamaica, and Japan. Bill lives on campus with his wife Jill and has three children: Aubrey ’06, William, and Dory ’14.
Thomas Dugan

Chair, Performing Arts Department

Emerson College - B.A.
Emerson College - M.A.

tdugan@suffieldacademy.org
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Tom is chair of Suffield’s Performing Arts Department and the director of theater. Tom also teaches senior level English, coaches the Kent-Davis speaking competition, and manages the headwaiter program. Tom earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees (master’s in theater education) at Emerson College. He worked for several years at Mercersburg Academy as the assistant director of summer programs and admissions.
Prior to teaching, he was in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. He lives on campus with his wife Heather, sons Patrick and Bailey, and daughter Kaitlyn.
Jason Healy

Director of Technology, Opatrny Chair in Technology

Williams College - B.A.

jhealy@suffieldacademy.org
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Born and raised in Honolulu, Jason graduated from Punahou School only to trade the warm beaches of Hawaii for the purple hills of Williams College. There he majored in computer science and met his future wife Amy. After a few years as a corporate software developer, Jason sought employment at a school (perhaps because both his parents were teachers). Suffield Academy provided a great mix of learning and technology, and Jason was thrilled to join the faculty.
Jason is now Director of Technology and teaches computer science. He and Amy live on campus with their sons Seth and Evan, and twin daughters Nora and Maya.
Neil Stone

Kim Wiggin Chair of Academic Support

Kenyon College - B.A.
Northwestern University - M.A.

nstone@suffieldacademy.org
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A native of the Midwest, Neil joined Suffield in 2018 as Director of Academic Support. Prior to Suffield, he spent 10 years as a learning specialist and team leader at Franklin Academy, a college prep boarding school specializing in students with high-functioning Autism/Asperger’s and non-verbal learning disorders. In that role, he also managed standardized testing accommodations. Earlier in his career, Neil was a testing coordinator and specialist of reading development programs to students of all ages.
Neil holds a Master of Science in Education from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College. At Kenyon, he was a student associate of the Kenyon Review and participated in a yearlong study-abroad program at the University of Exeter in the U.K., where he traveled extensively.
As a proud Clevelander, Neil is always optimistic the city will win another sports championship during his lifetime. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing and crossword puzzles. Neil lives on campus with his son Mason.
Bill Sullivan

Chair, English Department

Catholic University - B.A.
SUNY at Binghamton - M.A.

Bill_Sullivan@suffieldacademy.org
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Bill has taught courses in English, Latin, religion, ethics, philosophy, and humanities at West Nottingham Academy and TASIS, The American School in England. Bill was awarded an NEH fellowship to study Greek and Latin lyric poetry at Harvard University in 1994. He was also the recipient of the Richter Award for excellence in teaching (2015) as well as the Elisha Benjamin Andrews Award (2005).
Bill arrived at Suffield Academy in 2000 and has taught multiple levels of English, sophomore Leadership, and Latin. He currently teaches English III Honors and English IV, as well as senior electives. Throughout the last 10 years, Bill has been involved with several CAIS groups regarding professional development. In 2007 he joined the CAIS Professional Development Commission and served as vice chair during 2009-2010, 2015-2016, and chair from 2011-2013. Bill is now enrolled in a new advanced professional development program for Project-Based Learning teachers at UPenn’s Graduate School of Education.
Bill was appointed to the Town Forest Commission in 2015 and shares his enthusiasm for the outdoors with students in the SOLO program. Bill lives on campus with his wife Kristen Federowicz Sullivan ’87, and their three sons: Cormac ’22, Ronan, and Seamus.

Academic Deans & Chairs

List of 3 members.

Sara Yeager

Phil Hodosy

Benjamin Morgan ’06

List of 3 members.

Allison Henle

Volker Krasemann

Gis-Ximena Nahmens

List of 6 members.

Bryan Brissette

Bill Butcher

Thomas Dugan

Jason Healy

Neil Stone

Bill Sullivan

Academic Downloads