Science Faculty
see also: Science Courses, News, and Information
Janet Arnowitz team teaches English, and Geosystems. She graduated from Trenton State College with a BS in special education, and Virginia Tech with a MS in vocational special education. She is an expert racquetball, waterskiing, snow skier and works out with weights 3 to 4 days a week. She has been a participant in the Marshall social committee and volunteers in the weight training classes assisting students with technique. Mrs. Arnowitz shares personal family stories about the Holocaust and genetic diseases with content area classes including Biology, English and World History. Mrs. Arnowitz plans on retiring after this school year and looks forward to spend more time with her 10 y.o. son and Golden Retriever, sing in community productions, volunteer work, water color painting, shop and sleep.
Stephen Bartlett began teaching at George Marshall High School in the fall of 2004. He teaches IB-2 Physics HL, IB-1 Physics, Active Physics and Theory of Knowledge. He is the contact teacher for our annual science fair activities, and sponsor of the Marshall guitar club. Mr. Bartlett was selected to participate in Research Experience for Teachers program at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Greenbank, WV in the summer of 2009, where he did work in pulsar seismology. Before teaching, Mr. Bartlett spent 25 years working as an Engineering-Scientist in the fields of wireless, fiber optic communications and small-satellite radio design. He graduated from U. of Maryland with a BS in physics, and later received a graduate MS degree in Applied Physics & Engineering from George Mason on a professional fellowship. When not teaching, he enjoys practicing flamenco guitar and working on his farm in Culpeper County.
This is Mrs. Brown’s ninth year at Marshall HS. She is currently teaching Biology I and IB Environmental Systems and Societies, and is faculty advisor to FAAD/SADD, Earthforce, the Biology Club, and the newly formed Envirothon Team. Mrs. Brown graduated from Immaculata (PA) College, with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She has completed graduate work in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Delaware, and earned a Master's degree in Educational Psychology/Gifted Education from the University of Virginia. She is certified as a Virginia Master Naturalist.
Previously, Mrs. Brown was a research associate in the Department of Zoology at the University of California at Davis, and later developed and taught a preschool science program at Wesley Preschool in Vienna, and wrote and edited science education materials for Science Weekly. While her four children were attending FCPS, she was an active PTA volunteer in the Marshall Pyramid and at the county level. Mrs. Brown lives in Vienna with her husband, Tom, and their four labradoodles.
Ms. Carser-Brown earned a BA in English from the University of Minnesota, and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a specialization in ESOL, from George Mason University. She teaches ESOL 2, teamed World History and Geography 1, and teamed Biology 1. Ms. Carser-Brown is currently ESOL Department Chair.
Mark Fredenburg is teaching IB Chemistry II SL/HL and Chemistry 1 for the 2009-10 school year. In the past, he has taught all levels of chemistry and physics that are offered in Fairfax County. In his role as a Co-Assessment Coach and the Best Practices Liaison for Marshall HS, he works with teachers to improve instruction, analyze data and look at grading practices in the classroom. Mr. Fredenburg earned his BS in Chemistry at Mount Union College, his MS in Chemistry at the University of Rochester and his MS in Forensic Science at the George Washington University. While he has retired from coaching several sports at Marshall (including golf, wrestling and softball), he is a member of the announcing team for home football games.
Ms. Hayhurst teaches IB Chemistry I & II SL. This will be her third year at Marshall. She received her BS in Biology and Education from Southwest Missouri State University and her MS in Biology and Curriculum Development from Frostburg State University in Maryland. In her "FREE" time she enjoys playing with her horses, Miznan and Gidget, and her chickens!
This is Ms. Kahn’s first year at Marshall High School, after being at Madison High School for a few years. She is very happy to be a member of the Statesmen Physics I team. She has a B.S. in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from Georgetown University and a M.S. in Physics from Stanford University, where she did research using synchrotron x-rays to study surfaces of materials. Her education classes were primarily from GMU. When not teaching, she spends her time with her husband and children, and two kittens, who are quickly turning into cats.
Mr. Kirk is teaching Chemistry 1 and IB Chemistry in his first year at Marshall. Prior to this, he taught Chemistry I, Honors, and AP Chemistry at West Springfield. Mr. Kirk will be coaching pole vault for the Marshall track team and sponsors the Interact Club. In his spare time, Mr. Kirk likes to run on the trails of Rock Creek Park and catch his favorite bands when they visit D.C.
Sunny Nieh teaches Biology I, IB Biology I, and Concepts Science II. She is the sponsor of the Class of 2010. Ms. Nieh graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a BS in Engineering (Electrical Engineering and Biology) and later received a M.Ed. in Secondary Education (Biology and ESOL) from the George Washington University.
Mrs. Poirier is thrilled to be a returning member of the Marshall Community; she teaches Geosystems. She has a BS degree in Geology and a MS degree in Secondary Education. Prior to teaching, Mrs. Poirier spent 15 years working as a Geologist/Environmental Scientist focusing on hazardous waste site investigations and land management. She has lived and worked in six U.S. states and one foreign country (Japan). In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and the family cat.
Mrs. Schoonmaker is returning for her ninth year at Marshall High School and is teaching PreIB Biology and Biology I. She has a B.S. in Biology and Sociology from Belmont University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at George Mason University.
Amy Snyder team teaches Chemistry 1 with Ms. Ulch and Mr. Kirk. She is also a member of the Special Education Department. Ms. Snyder graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a BS in Computer Science and later received her graduate degree in Secondary Education from Canisius College. She is fully licensed to teach Mathematics as well. When not tutoring students in the DC-metro area, she enjoys gardening, writing, and ice skating.
Amy Speegle is excited to be at Marshall for her fourth year. She continues to teach a variety of physics courses, and serves as the Science Department Chair. She enjoys making physics accessible to all students and hopes that her students will learn to embrace their inner nerd. She is also the sponsor of the Science Honor Society, and will be assisting Ms. Ulch with Science Olympiad. Mrs. Speegle graduated with honors from Haverford College with a B.S. in Physics and minors in Astronomy and Mathematics. She earned her M.Ed. in Secondary Education (Physics) from the George Washington University where she has taught other teachers about the research process as an adjunct professor. She is a Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellow. In the rare event of “free time,” Mrs. Speegle enjoys cooking, playing Frisbee with her dog, and Guitar Hero with her family.
Erica Ulch is excited to be teaching Chemistry 1 at Marshall High School this year. She received her BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and completed her Secondary Education program at Western Michigan University in Biology and Chemistry. Before entering the teaching profession, Ms. Ulch was a research assistant at the University of Michigan where she worked to find potential treatments for sickle cell disease.
Julie Veenstra teaches pre-IB and IB II Biology at Marshall. She grew up in Michigan and received her B.S. in Medical Technology from Michigan State University. At the University of New South Wales in Australia, Ms. Veenstra had the opportunity to study microbiology while exploring the land down under. She also studied Criminal Justice before pursuing her M.Ed. in Secondary Education from George Washington University.
Andrea Wallace teaches special education. She graduated from James Madison University with a Biology/Pre Veterinarian degree. She is currently attending George Mason University where she will receive her masters in Special Education in March 2009. Some of her hobbies are spending time with family and friends, playing sports, shopping, and volunteering.