ACADEMIC APPROACH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director of One - on - One Tutoring
Ali currently serves as an Associate Director of One-on-One Tutoring. In this role, she oversees individual one-on-one programs, helping students and families set up programs and ensuring that those programs are executed. Before this role, Ali worked as an instructor for Academic Approach, specializing in elementary and middle school programs.
Ali has a BFA from Shenandoah Conservatory. Before joining Academic Approach, she taught ESL and music lessons. Ali can be found hiking, camping, and performing in theatres around the city in her free time.
Allison earned her Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduation, she spent six years teaching English in China. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends, family, and dogs in her free time.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Education
Amanda Aisen has worked with Academic Approach since 2010. After serving as an Instructor and…
Amanda currently serves as an Associate Director of One-on-One tutoring. Amanda joined the Academic Approach team in 2020 as a tutor and classroom instructor for the ACT and SAT.
Before joining Academic Approach, Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in Economics and Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Amanda worked as a tour guide at her university and loved interacting with students and families to help guide their college decision-making process. Amanda has also worked in various health care settings providing health education to patients. Amanda loves dogs, trying new restaurants, and enjoying a good book at a coffee shop.
Job Titles:
- Director of Client Services
Andrew Ferguson currently serves as the Director of Client Services as well as an ACT and SAT instructor. In this role, Andrew leads customer service efforts and supports marketing initiatives for the One-on-One tutoring team.
Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from The University of Kansas and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Wichita State University. Andrew is a veteran ACT and SAT instructor. He also teaches Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics aimed at supporting students' academic and Subject Test needs.
Job Titles:
- Director of Professional Development
Anna Brandes is currently the Director of Professional Development on the School Programs team at…
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of One - on - One
- Director of Inquiries
Ben Hendren currently serves as an Associate Director of One-on-One tutoring. Ben joined the Academic…
Bradley Kessler - Chief Legal Officer, Chief Strategy Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Strategy Officer
- General Counsel
- Chief Strategy Officer & General Counsel / Executive Leadership Resource Management
- Executive Leadership Resource Management
Bradley Kessler serves as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel. In this role, Bradley participates as an executive leader for Academic Approach and directly supports legal, sales, and technology efforts. Prior to joining Academic Approach in 2015, Bradley founded and served as Chief Financial Officer of a venture capital funded financial software company. He also previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of an education technology company and led the procurement and contracts department for Chicago Public Schools.
Bradley earned his Juris Doctorate at Northwestern University, graduating cum laude. He graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. In his free time, Bradley enjoys running, reading long biographies, spending time with his two-year-old daughter, participating on various charitable boards, and mentoring early stage entrepreneurs.
Job Titles:
- Department of Education Instructor Management
Brian Forster has worked at Academic Approach since 2015, initially as a one-on-one tutor and…
Brian Kirchner joined Academic Approach in 2018 and currently serves as the Lead Director of…
Brian McAuliffe currently serves as a Software Developer. In this role, Brian develops new features…
Job Titles:
- Regional Director
- Regional Director of One - on - One Tutoring
Carla Pedersen currently serves as the Regional Director of One-on-One Tutoring. In this role, she collaborates with the instructional staff and works with families to design and implement the best individualized program for their student. Carla started with Academic Approach as an ACT and SAT tutor with a specialization in the Math II, Biology, and Chemistry subject tests. Prior to joining Academic Approach, Carla worked for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth as part of their summer enrichment programs.
Carla graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and a minor in Biology. Carla spent five years of her childhood in Kuwait and a semester abroad in China during her junior year of high school, homeschooling and studying Chinese. During her undergraduate studies, she was a Teaching Assistant in Evolutionary Biology. After graduation, she tutored for the MCAT, teaching topics such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Verbal Reasoning.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Manager of Operations
- Associate Manager of Opeartions
Dan Josephson currently serves as the Associate Manager of Operations. In this role, Dan helps build and track student data, organize test events, streamline procurement, and model outreach strategies for both School Programs and 1-on-1 tutoring. He also serves as the chain of communication between students, parents, tutors, and accounting for the East Coast team. Prior to joining Academic Approach, Dan taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Korea and Taiwan. Upon returning to the United States, he worked as the Purchasing Manager for Southeast Asia Market, a restaurant supplier and food distributor in Brooklyn, New York.
Dan earned a Master of Arts in Asia-Pacific Studies from National Chengchi University in Taipei. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Legal Studies, with a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin. In addition to working for Academic Approach, Dan teaches online ESL classes to students in China, and is an Asian Studies Adjunct Lecturer at the City College of New York (CCNY). In his free time, Dan enjoys reading, writing, traveling, cooking, music, films, television, sports, being an uncle, and spending time with his significantly better half.
Denise Alagna currently serves as an Associate Director of One-on-One Tutoring in the Clarendon Hills…
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Finance
- Vice President of Finance / Executive Leadership / Resource Management
Erica Porter Walton currently serves as the Vice President of Finance. In this role, Erica leads accounting and reporting efforts for the organization. Before joining Academic Approach, Erica served as a Controller for many years in the Healthcare and Education industries, where she was responsible for managing all aspects of accounting and reporting.
Erica is a CPA with an MBA and BS in Accounting. In her free time, Erica enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
Hayley Notter joined Academic Approach in 2015 as a Curriculum Developer Team Lead and currently…
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of One
- Associate Director of One - on - One Tutoring
Ian Milliken is an Associate Director of One-on-One Tutoring in New York City. He currently teaches in classroom programs at the Lycée Francais de New York and The Spence School. He also serves as a 1-on-1 tutor for the SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, Literature & US History subject tests, and college admissions essays. Prior to joining Academic Approach, Ian taught English and math to students of varying ages and backgrounds. He was a substitute teacher in New York State public schools, a TEFL teacher in Bangkok, Thailand, and a Teaching Assistant for undergraduate audio engineering course at Purdue University.
Ian earned a Bachelor of Music from Syracuse University and a Master of Fine Arts in Sound Design and Production from Purdue University. In addition to his role at Academic Approach, Ian is a working composer, musician, and sound designer, writing music for theatre, dance, concert, and film. His music has been heard on television networks and stages around the US and abroad, including performances in Edinburgh, Prague, Chicago, and New York. He currently performs with several ensembles in the New York area.
Job Titles:
- Software Developer
- Software Engineer
Ivan Heemskerk currently works as a Software Engineer for Academic Approach and is based in…
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Data Management
James Kriegsmann is currently the Director of Data Management. In this role, he primarily ensures…
Job Titles:
- Director of Research and Development
Jaycie Ryrholm joined Academic Approach in 2011. As the Director of Research and Development, she supports the piloting, implementation, and evaluation of Academic Approach's curriculum, instruction, technology, and assessment-and their impact.
Before this role, Jaycie also worked in the organization as a Director of Curriculum and an ACT/SAT and Spanish instructor.
Jaycie holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in linguistics from the University of Arizona, where her research focused on psycholinguistics and second language acquisition. Her hobbies include hiking, crossword puzzling, and painting.
Job Titles:
- Department of Education Instructor Management
- Director of Instructional Management
- Director of Instructional Management / Department of Education Instructor Management
- Director of One - on - One Tutoring
Jeremy Palmer currently serves as a Director of Instructional Management. Since joining the team in 2014 as an ACT and SAT tutor, he has spent time training new tutors and revising content with the curriculum development team. In his current role as a Director, he draws from his tutoring experience to plan and coordinate programs for a greater number of students.
Before joining Academic Approach, Jeremy spent 15 months teaching in South Korea before backpacking across Asia and the West Coast. Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Commerce with a concentration in International Business and Entrepreneurship from McGill University in Montreal.
Jeremy Palmer currently serves as a Director of One-on-One Tutoring. Since joining the team in…
Job Titles:
- Member of the Instructor Management Team
- Associate Director of One - on - One Tutoring
- Department of Education Instructor Management
- Director of Instructional Management
Katie Hammen currently serves as the Associate Director of One-on-One Tutoring. In this role, Katie…
Job Titles:
- Director of Classroom Learning
Katy joined the team at Academic Approach in 2016 and currently serves as the Director of Classroom Learning. She works closely with school partners to tailor classroom programs to student needs and coaches' instructors on their lesson delivery skills.
Before joining Academic Approach, Katy was a special education teacher for six years, working at a public high school and a high-performing charter high school.
Katy studied Political Science and Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned her Master's in Special Education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Katy enjoys taking group fitness classes, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends in her free time.
Mary Petrassi is the Accounting Manager and has been with Academic Approach for over five years…
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Executive Leadership One - on - One Tutoring
- Founder & CEO / Executive Leadership One - on - One Tutoring
Matthew Pietrafetta founded Academic Approach in 2001 and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Since 2001, Matthew has supervised the organization's instructional services, curriculum, and technology development. Whether working with lead trainers to provide high-quality support to Academic Approach's tutors or collaborating with educators to deliver instructional support that drives higher student achievement, Matthew is committed to improving the quality of Academic Approach's instructional practices and services.
Matthew earned his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in English Language and Literature at Columbia University in New York City. After teaching in Columbia's Core Curriculum and preparing New York City high school students for college entrance exams, Matthew worked to define a model of test preparation based less on strategy and more on skills-development. Academic Approach views test preparation as a means to an academic end: teaching vital college readiness skills that not only raise scores but also prepare students for academic success both on and beyond the test.
Job Titles:
- Manager of School Programs
Meagan Moore currently serves as the Manager of School Programs. In this role, Meagan works…
Job Titles:
- Human Resource Manager
- Manager of Human Resources
Phyllis Watson is the Human Resource Manager at Academic Approach. In this role, she handles…
Job Titles:
- Department of Education Instructor Management
Sarah Burrichter serves as an Instructional Manager for School Programs. In this role, Sarah provides…
Sean Wesslund serves as Academic Approach's Recruitment Manager. In this role, Sean oversees the organization's…
Tommy is the Assessment Manager at Academic Approach and a musician, an actor, and an amateur astronomer.
TJ Sassorossi currently serves as the Director of Curriculum and Assessment. In this position, TJ…
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Operations
- Executive Leadership Resource Management
Varun Aggarwal currently serves as the Vice President of Operations. In this role, Varun leads…
Wade Weeldreyer currently serves as an Associate Director of One-on-One Tutoring in the North Shore…