Mr. Robert DePalma has an undergraduate degree in Biology and a minor with honors in Anthropology from Drew University. He also has a masters in education from Drew University where he took as many science courses as possible! Mr. DePalma has done research in Belize on the coral reefs, as well as animal conservation research. Mr. DePalma was also honored for his hard work in theater productions at Drew University. Prior to coming to Barnstable, Mr. DePalma taught at The Ranney School as an ESL teacher for international students , and was involved in the school’s GSA.
In addition to his professional experience, Mr. DePalma has been an outdoor educator for most of his education career. He had worked as a zoo instructor for the Staten Island Zoo as well as a tour guide/ biology day instructor at Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari. He has certified handling experience with the Staten Island Zoo education animals, specifically reptiles, such as the sand boa, the everglade rat snake, the eastern box turtle, the bearded dragon, and a hinged armadillo. He also had the opportunity to work closely with the safari wardens and vets, where he got to see a lot of cute baby animals like lion, tiger, and bear cubs.
Mr. DePalma is an avid reader of mystery, fantasy, and science fiction books. He is a huge fan of Disney and loves listening to video game orchestral soundtracks. He also loves to play video games with his family and friends, as well as playing board games that can go on for hours. He is also a big fan of Lindsey Sterling, and listening to composers such as Masayoshi Soken, REVO, Keiichi Okabe, and Yoko Shimomoura.
Ms. Elizabeth O’Brien has earned a Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science and her Masters’ degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology. Her teaching experiences include instructing at urban and special education high schools. More recently, Ms. O’Brien is working towards her New Jersey Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification.
Ms. O’Brien has been an Oakland resident for over 30 years. She is the mother of two adults and is very sympathetic to the needs of the students’ families. Her hobbies include hiking, swimming, reading and yoga. She is very excited to be teaching mathematics to the students at the Barnstable Academy.
Kwan Kim, PhD joined the Barnstable Academy family as a teacher of Environmental Science, Algebra II, and Advanced Math in 2010. Dr. Kim has multiple academic backgrounds in the sciences, math, and computer science. Not only has Dr. Kim taught at the high school level, but he was a professor at Seonam University in Korea and more recently, at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack.
Dr. Kim has been published multiple times in the areas of Neurons in the Central Nervous System, Cell Biology, and Biostatistics. In addition, he has developed two websites including statistical software which can be accessed at http://www.statext.com. He is also developing Android apps using Java Language.
Dr. Kim received ETS Recognition of Excellence for perfect scores in Mathematics, Biology, and General Science for the Praxis Series. He holds a Teaching Certificate from the State of New Jersey.
Kim Jamgochian is excited to be joining the faculty at Barnstable Academy. She received her B.A. in Education and Spanish from Tufts University. She went on to receive a Masters in Education, also from Tufts University. She attended Middlebury College Summer Language Immersion program and a post graduate program in Madrid, Spain.
After teaching elementary school, Kim changed paths and worked as a Senior Marketing Representative for IBM. Kim went back to teaching while raising her three children. She is an NJ Certified teacher and Highly Qualified in both Math and Language Arts. She also is trained in Orton-Gillingham. She has worked in both private and public schools for over 15 years and loves the challenges and rewards that come with teaching.
Kim also enjoys tutoring, playing tennis and paddle and is an avid reader. She loves the beach and enjoys visiting the Jersey Shore. Kim also has a love for playing Scrabble and Backgammon… any challengers?
Liz Greenstein
Math Teacher
Mrs. Liz Greenstein is thrilled to be a member of the Barnstable family. Liz has been teaching math at Barnstable since 2012. During her time at Barnstable, Mrs. Greenstein has taught 7th grade, 8th grade, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Senior Seminar. Mrs. Greenstein is also one of the senior class advisors. Over the course of the year, she helps the seniors to plan various events including their prom.
Mrs. Greenstein tries to make math relatable and fun for all of her students. She often uses math music to help students remember formulas. She also loves corny math jokes and puns.
In her spare time, Mrs. Greenstein enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.