Faculty 2011

Jeffrey Bush—Geology	Jeff graduated from Bowdoin College in 2010 with a degree in Environmental Studies and Geology. At Bowdoin he was on the Nordic Ski Team, as well as the Crew Team. After studying abroad in Madagascar in 2008, Jeff decided to do his senior thesis on carbon sequestration and agriculture. At Bowdoin he was also active in helping design Climate Action Plans, for the college, as well as the town of Brunswick. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys photography, telemark skiing, and baking bread. After graduation Jeff has been leading wilderness trips for the YMCA, taking high school age kids on adventures throughout Minnesota, Ontario, and Wyoming. This spring Jeff entered the world of semester schools. He completed the High Mountain Institute's Apprentice Program where he student taught, took a seminar on educational theory, and lead wilderness trips in Utah and Colorado. Jeff is extremely excited for the next step his his career, where he hopes to impart his passion for the mountains and the natural world.
Beth Drewes—Geology	Beth recently received her M.S. in Geology at the University California, Santa Cruz studying the sources and formation of intrusive (plutonic) rocks from Fiji. She completed her undergraduate degree at DePauw University, also in Geology, while competing in tennis for the women's team. Geology was not the major she had originally planned to pursue in to college, but the potential to combine scientific research with working out-of-doors made it clear that this was the major for her. She developed a love for travel during her tenure at DePauw, spending time in New Zealand, Ecuador, Iceland, and India. She is thrilled about the opportunity to explore Switzerland and other parts of Europe. She is even more excited to be teaching geology in Zermatt, the largest, most scenic and well-equipped outdoor geology "laboratory" she has ever seen.
Will Hansen—Math	Will did his undergraduate work at Washington University (St. Louis),where he majored in mathematics and played baseball. After working for one year,he returned to Washington U. and completed a Masters Degree in mathematics before beginning his teaching career. In his 34 years of teaching, Will has shared with his students his enthusiasm for all aspects of mathematics, but he is especially excited about helping students appreciate the many ways mathematics can be used as a model that helps them understand quantitative relationships and make predictions. He is also looking forward to sharing his enjoyment of the outdoors and the guitar.
Caroline Kemmerer—French and Spanish	Caroline Kemmerer has been teaching with Swiss Semester, more or less continually, since 1990 when she left her position at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA, where she had been head of the Modern Language Department. Prior to that she taught at Bryn Mawr College. Caroline received her BA from Agnes Scott College, her MA from Middlebury College, and her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College. She has lived and traveled in many parts of the United States, Mexico, South America, and Europe, including Spain, Italy, England, and France. Zermatt itself has changed, grown, spread out, but the program is a constant in its emphasis on challenges, both academic and physical. My enthusiasm never falters, and I can hardly wait to meet the new students and begin classes.
Bill King—Art History	After thinking he could retire from Swiss Semester, Bill has decided that the students mean too much to him and has chosen to return for his14th semester behind the slide projector at Swiss Semester. This year he hopes to add many more images from on-line sites via Power Point to supplement the school's extensive slide collection. All in all, it should be a terrific fall in Zermatt and he is looking forward to getting started.
Margaret Mathis—Math	Margaret is a graduate of Wellesley College with a Masters from The University of Texas. She has been teaching math at various schools, including semester programs in Maine and Vermont, for over 40 years and at Swiss Semester for more than 20. She still enjoys hiking, biking and skiing. She especially looks forward to being in the classroom and showing students that the can succeed with math and learn to actually enjoy learning. One of her favorite projects is having students write papers on how math is used in the world today.
Molly O'Connor—Spanish	Molly comes to Swiss Semester after five years of teaching Spanish in Brooklyn, NY. She is a 2003 graduate of Amherst College, where she majored in Spanish and Sociology and played field hockey and lacrosse, and has an MA in Educational Leadership from Teachers College. Molly studied abroad in Chile during her junior year and has been teaching Spanish ever since she experienced the power of an immersion experience. Swiss Semester provides Molly a unique experience to combine her passion for teaching and the outdoors; she has spent considerable time hiking and biking in the U.S. and abroad and looks forward to sharing more of those experiences with students. Most recently, Molly was in Costa Rica and Tanzania with high school students seeing the power of experiential learning in action - something she's also experienced with students in Hawaii, Spain, and on a cross-country bike trip. She is eager to add Switzerland to the list, teaching and learning alongside Swiss Semester students! When not in a classroom, Molly spends her time running, climbing, reading, eating chocolate, and drinking coffee.
Dan Piquet—English	Dan Piquet was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and recently retired from Mary Institute & St Louis Country Day School after twenty-five years of teaching English there. He has also taught at Dublin School in Dublin, New Hampshire, and in the Andover Summer Session at Philips Academy. He holds a BA degree from Saint Louis University and an MA from Middlebury College. Dan is passionate about teaching literature and writing, and is particularly excited about introducing Swiss Semester students to works of literature associated with Switzerland and the places they will be visiting during the semester. An avid hiker, runner, and cyclist, Dan is equally excited about the physical challenges that the program offers both students and teachers. The steep learning curve and the intense satisfaction of being part of a small, energetic community in pursuit of intellectual and personal growth has brought Dan to Swiss Semester, and he could not be happier embarking upon this new adventure.
Kris Stanec—Art History	Kris knew she needed to live near the stunning power of the mountains. Having grown up in Pasadena, California, she attended Colorado College for her undergraduate and Masters of Art in Teaching, then chose to put her roots down at the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. Kris is excited to be in Zermatt again, having travelled there for her twenty-first birthday years ago when studying abroad. Kris travels with her husband Scott as often as she can; their passion for cycling led to them following the Tour de France for two weeks in 2004 and then again with their children DJ and Emme in 2009. Kris is thrilled that her family will be on this wonderful adventure as well. As a faculty member in the Education Department at Colorado College for 12 years, Kris is fascinated by the research on how people learn. A firm believer in using the arts and humanities to make meaningful connections to students and between subjects, Kris has explored art history from a multitude of angles. She is excited to share the stories revealed through the ages in art history and use those as a metaphor to prompt students to think about their own narratives while being inspired by the beauty of the Swiss Alps.
Sarah Tory—English and French	Sarah graduated from Williams College in June 2011 with a degree in English Literature. At Williams, she was captain of the women’s Nordic Ski Team, ran outdoor track, and led trips for the Outing Club. At Swiss Semester, Sarah will be co-teaching English and assisting in the French classroom. She is excited about working with students in the incredible alpine setting of Zermatt, both in the classroom, and in the mountains, hiking, climbing, and skiing.