ACADEMIC DIRECTOR:
Sidnie Myrick is a literacy and curriculum specialist, 1996 finalist for California Teacher of the Year, past president of the Glendale Teachers' Association, and recipient of the California Reading Initiative Leadership grant. As Associate Director of the UCLA Writing Project and instructor with UCLA's Teacher Education Program and USC's Rossier School of Education, she has helped design instructional programs for students from kindergarten through university. She holds a Master's Degree in Education from California State University Los Angeles.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
P.K. Candaux is an Emmy-award winning producer of the television series 'Cagney & Lacey', and a former Director of Current Programs at CBS Television Network where she supervised production of prime-time series. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College and has written and produced for stage, film, television, and radio.

LEAD ARTIST-ADVISOR:
Maggie Edmondson is a professional cellist who has performed with the Long Beach Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, L.A. Chamber Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, L.A. Opera, Southwest Chamber Music, Camarata Pacifica and as a recording artist. She holds a Bachelor's of Music Performance from Cal State LA. and maintains a private cello studio in Pasadena.

HUMANITIES ADVISOR:
Michael Stein-Ross holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Southern California where he co-founded an after-school mentoring program for middle school students. He has a minor in Spanish and spent Fall 2002 studying in Santiago, Chile.

HUMANITIES ADVISOR:
Kat Stein-Ross graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in English Language & Literature, and a minor in the Teaching Profession. She has been working with middle and high school scholars for more than five years in various positions including classroom teacher, greco-roman wrestling coach, and club advisor, and has led groups of 11th and 12th grade students on Winter Survival treks in Yosemite National Park.

LATIN & CLASSICS ADVISOR:
Tom Knight holds a Ph.D. in Classics and an MA in Greek, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He taught for six years at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, Zimbabwe, and for three years at Chancellor College of the University of Melane, in Zomba, Malawi. His published papers include comparisons between Greek and African myth.

MATH ADVISOR:
Edward Estrada holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a Specialization in Computing from UCLA, an M.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Phoenix, and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Cal State Northridge. He has served on the faculty of the Jaime Escalante Summer Math Program at East Los Angeles College and, as Lead Math Advisor, he directs RenArts' Saturday and Summer Math Intensives.

MATH ADVISOR:
Matthew MacDevitt earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Shimer College, the great books school of Chicago. He became fluent in Spanish while living in Costa Rica, tutored English Learners at the Shimer College Learning Center, and spent several summers counseling at Bay Cliff Health Camp, a therapy program in rural Michigan for children with disabilities.

MATH ADVISOR:
Ming Ying holds an M.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.A. in Geography from the University of Kentucky. He completed his undergraduate education in Hong Kong with a major in Civil Engineering and started his career as an engineer in the 80's. He has taught advanced mathematics at the secondary level since 2006.

SCIENCE ADVISOR:
Dave Nelson holds a Ph.D in Materials Science and Physics and a Masters in Physics, both from Cornell University. His career has spanned 25 years in the Semiconductor Industry and includes research and development for the IBM Watson Research Center, and Rockwell International, and participation in two start-up companies. He has published numerous papers on semiconductor physics, processing, and manufacturing.

SCIENCE ADVISOR :
Rich Furlan holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Physics and B.S. in Chemistry from Wright State University. He taught college Physics, Chemistry, and Math for over 25 years, including courses at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of the Ozarks, and Penn State Erie. He has developed new courses, experiments, and laboratory manuals. His research includes Atomic and Molecular collisions and the use of virtual reality in science education.

MUSIC THEORY ADVISOR :
William Johnson holds a Masters Degree in Music from the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music and a Bachelor's of Music in Bass Performance from Oberlin Conservatory. He is a studio session player and is affiliated with multiple local orchestras including Southeast Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, Redlands Symphony and Santa Monica Virtuosi Chamber Ensemble.

VIOLIN ADVISOR:
Marisa McLeod holds a Masters of Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. As a long-time member of the Anderson String Quartet, she toured the U.S. and Europe, and performed at the 1993 Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C. She currently performs with the South Central Chamber Orchestra, the Aurora Quartet, California Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, and Pasadena Symphony. She has taught at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and maintains a private violin studio.

VIOLA ADVISOR :
Sharon Ray is a graduate of the Curtis Institute with a Performance Degree in viola. She also studied violin, viola and tympani at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She has performed with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, the New Jersey Symphony, and the Delaware Symphony. She is the author of two books on bass guitar method for Alfred Publishing, and for the past 16 years has served on the faculty of the National Guitar Workshop. She maintains a private teaching practice for viola and bass guitar.

VOCAL ADVISOR:
Yorgos Adamis holds an MFA in Composition from the California Institute of the Arts, an MA in Contemporary Performing Arts from the University of Leeds in England, and a BA in Music from the University of York. His work explores the use of extended vocal and instrumental techniques in experimental contemporary music and improvisation, Greek folk music, Byzantine Chant and choral performance, and in collaborations with video artists, dancers and choreographers. His original compositions have been performed in Greece, England, Ukraine, Russia and across the United States.

DANCE ADVISOR:
Sarri Sanchez is a professional contemporary modern dancer and choreographer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in World Arts and Cultures - Dance, and serves as co-founder/artistic director of IN/EX Dance Project. She is also a founding member/company teacher for Holly Johnston's Ledges and Bones Dance Project and a dancer for Laura Karlin's Invertigo Dance Theatre.

DANCE ADVISOR:
Erik Speth holds a BFA in Dance Choreography and Performance from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), an AA in dance from Moorpark College, and is a licensed Pilates instructor. Erik was selected to participate in the Music and Dance Exchange (MADE) 2006, an interdisciplinary performance laboratory for professional artists and researchers at Dartington College of Arts. He was a founding member of ledges and bones dance project under the artistic direction of Holly Johnston. He currently works with Los Angeles Movement Arts and Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, and is the artistic director of Project Eight DT.

ART HISTORY ADVISOR :
John Nelson holds a M.F.A. and B.F.A. from California College of the Arts. John has taught Sculpture, Esthetics and Art History at Marymount College, Saddl back College and California College of the Arts. He has exhibited his work in numerous exhibitions, most recently at Seyhoun Gallery in Los Angeles and has work in noteworthy private collections.

OFFICE MANAGER:
Lisa Springer is a highly trained Administrative Office Specialist with over 18 years of office management experience with Fortune 500 companies. She brings exceptional customer service and project management skills, and is fluent in Spanish with excellent oral and written bi-lingual communication.