DIRECTORS

PK Candaux is an Emmy-award winning producer of the television series 'Cagney & Lacey', and a former Director of Current Programs at CBS Entertainment where she supervised production of network prime-time series. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College and has written and produced for stage, film, television, and radio. She is co-founder of Renaissance Arts Academy.

Sidnie Gallegos Myrick is a literacy and curriculum specialist, 1996 finalist for California Teacher of the Year, past president of the Glendale Teachers' Association, recipient of the California Reading Initiative Leadership grant, and Associate Director of the UCLA Writing Project. As an 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 has a BA in History from UCLA and a Masters in Education from Cal State University Los Angeles. She is co-founder of Renaissance Arts Academy.

ACADEMIC TEAM

Fabio Altenbach holds an M.S. in Astrophysics from Caltech and a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from UCLA. He was a Graduate Researcher for Lynne Hillenbrand, investigating the properties of stars with ultraviolet excess, and taught introductory astronomy at Caltech. He is recipient of the Charles Geoffrey Hilton Award, the Dr. Irving S. Reed Fellowship, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He has tutored in astronomy, physics, algebra II, precalculus and calculus, and was president of the Undergraduate Astronomical Society at UCLA.

Patrick Barrow is a PhD Candidate in Mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley, currently completing his dissertation; research topics include non-commutative geometry and chainlet geometry. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from North Carolina State University, taught math at U.C. Berkeley where he received the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, and has tutored all levels of pre-college and undergraduate math.

Rich Furlan received a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University of Connecticut. He holds 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. His research includes work in atomic and molecular collisions, and the use of virtual reality in science education.

Polly Gellar received her MFA in Poetry from Otis College of Art and Design, with an emphasis on translation. Ms. Geller grew up in Rome and attended Dartmouth College, where she majored in Comparative Literature and minored in Dance.

David Jamieson holds a Masters Degree in Education with a focus on Teaching English as a Second Language, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Point Loma Nazarene University. For the past five years he has taught in Title 1 schools in Oregon, and has international experience teaching Humanities at an International Bacheloriate school in Xiamen, China.

Tom Knight holds a Ph.D. in Classics and an M.A. 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.

Dave Nelson holds a Ph.D in Materials Science and Physics and an M.S. 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. In addition to RenArts, Dave teaches Physical Science at CSU Channel Islands

John Nelson received both M.F.A. and B.F.A. degrees from California College of the Arts. John has taught Sculpture, Esthetics and Art History at Marymount College, Saddleback College and California College of the Arts. His work is held in noted private collections and has appeared in numerous exhibitions, most recently at Seyhoun Gallery in Los Angeles.

Gerald Nicdao holds Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Political Science and Sociology from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. in Teaching from the University of Southern California. He has served as an editor on The Daily Californian at Berkeley, a sports reporter for San Diego's Examiner.com, and an internet organizer for the Public Interest Research Group in Chicago.

Mary Paniscus received an M.S. in Genetics from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She has done post-graduate research in Bioinformatics, developed curriculum for the University of Arizona Department of Informatics, and taught introductory college courses in biology and computer programming. Publications and conference presentations have focused on genome sequences and signatures.

Amy Sirkis graduated Summa Cum Laude from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. She received the Society of Women Engineers Philadelphia Section Certificate of Merit for honor in science and mathematics, and has worked in research laboratories in Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the Chemistry Department at USC, and the Chemistry Department at the College of William and Mary, as well as serving as teaching assistant for an undergraduate organic laboratory in the Chemistry Department at UCLA.

ARTS TEAM

Ross Chitwood holds a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music and a Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance from The Juilliard School in New York, where he was admitted with Presidential Distinction. Ross spent several summers with the Aspen Music Festival and has appeared at the Houston Grand Opera, Aspen Bach Festival, The Long Island Choral Society, and The Juilliard Opera Center. He performs regularly as a soloist, and is currently working on his first full jazz / popular music album after a successful Christmas debut of his holiday album, Season Bright.

Eric Guinivan holds Doctorate and Masters degrees in Music Composition from the USC Thornton School of Music, and a double Bachelor of Music in Composition and Percussion Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His compositions have received awards from BMI, ASCAP, the Presser Foundation, the New England College Film Festival, and the Society of Composers. His work has been performed in Spain, France, Greece, Estonia, Japan and across the United States including at Carnegie Hall and the Aspen Music Festival. Commissioned works include compositions for the New York Youth Symphony, Delaware Youth Symphony, Michigan Music Teachers' Association, Firebird Ensemble, the ASCAP Foundation, Lotte Lehman Foundation, and pianist Vicki Ray. Eric has performed widely as a percussionist, is a founding member of the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, and is currently a Graduate Teaching Fellow at USC Thornton in addition to teaching at RenArts.

Nicholas Heitzeberg holds a B.A. in Dance and Studio Arts from Loyola Marymount University where he studied with choreographers Holly Johnston, Maria Gillespi, Hassan Christopher, Damon Rago, and Scott Heinzerling. He has danced professionally with the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, Ledges and Bones Dance Company, Company of Strangers, Palindrome Performance Group, Collage Dance Theatre, Kdub Dance, and Argentine Tango masters Miriam Larici and Hugo Patyn. Nicholas grew up playing competitive sports with his three brothers, and discovered a love for movement through hip-hop and partner dance while in high school.

Jason Issokson received his Masters' degree in Violin Performance from USC Thornton and Bachelors' in Violin Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, both under the guidance of Midori Goto. As a Graduate Fellow at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, he also earned an M.A. in Specialized Journalism (Arts). He has won awards at the International Violin Competition 'Andrea Postacchini', the Max Rostal International Violin Competition, and the Alberto Curci International Violin Competition. His concerto engagements include the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Great Falls Symphony Orchestra, Waco Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, Aspen Concert Orchestra, and the Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo. He currently maintains a performing career, private teaching studio, and is an active music journalist.

Stephanie Jamieson graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor's Degree in Dance and a minor in Theatre Arts. As an undergraduate, she performed and choreographed with leading dance artists including Hassan Christopher, Mike Esperanza, Chad Michael Hall, and Holly Johnston. She has performed professionally with Ledges and Bones Dance Project, Method Contemporary Dance, Invertigo Dance Theater, and is a founding member of KDUB Dance, directed by Kevin Williamson. Stephanie is a Certified GYROTONIC® Instructor and has created choreography for music videos, college musical productions, and Idyllwild Arts Academy in addition to RenArts.

Will Johnson holds a Masters Degree from the USC Thornton School of Music and a Bachelor 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.

Matthew Keating is a Cello Laureate from Hochschule für Musik at Trossingen, Germany, with a Bachelors of Music in Cello Performance from California State University Northridge. He has performed widely as a freelance cellist in orchestras, chamber ensembles and session recordings, including recent work with the Honolulu Symphony. He served as orchestra director at the Punahou School and the Hanahau'oli School, and was professor of cello at Hawaii Pacific University.

Sharon Ray graduated from 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, the Delaware Symphony and is currently affiliated with the Southeast Symphony and the Santa Monica Symphony. She is the author of two books on bass guitar method for Alfred Publishing, and served on the faculty of the National Guitar Workshop for 16 years. She maintains a private teaching practice for viola and bass guitar.

Sarri Sanchez has an MFA in Dance from Hollins University/American Dance Festival and a Bachelor's Degree from UCLA in World Arts and Cultures: Dance. She has been a founding member/company teacher for Holly Johnston's Ledges and Bones Dance Project, a dancer for Laura Karlin's Invertigo Dance Theatre, and Co-Director of the modern dance company IN/EX Dance Project. She is a member of Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society, a past recipient of the UC Regents Scholarship and National Hispanic Scholar Award, and is a 2011 Los Angeles County Bravo nominee for excellence in arts teaching.

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 trained at the Paul Taylor Summer Intensive and 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, and has worked with Los Angeles Movement Arts, Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, and as artistic director of Project Eight DT. He is currently on sabbatical, teaching at Ohio State University while he completes his MFA in Contemporary Dance, Choreography and Video Production.

Argenta Walther holds an MFA in Voice Performance from the California Institute of the Arts and Bachelor of Music in Voice from UC Santa Cruz. A committed performer of opera, art song, chamber music and contemporary music, she has performed as a soloist with San Francisco Opera, Santa Barbara Master Chorale, Boulder Chamber Orchestra and the PARTCH ensemble in such venues as REDCAT, the Bing Theater at LACMA, and the Herbst Theater in San Francisco.

Ella Weiss holds a DMA in Violin Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters Degree in Violin Performance from Cleveland State University, with additional post-graduate study at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her undergraduate degrees were completed at Baiseitova Music College and Almaty State Conservatory in her native Kazakhstan. She has performed with orchestras across Kazakhstan, Germany, and the U.S., and with international festivals and broadcast media. She teaches privately and at the California College of Music in addition to RenArts.