Shipley Welcomes New Colleagues for 2026-2027
The Shipley School welcomed 14 new colleagues for the 2026-2027 academic year. Read more about each new colleague.
All School
Alejandra Balcazar, Director of Belonging and Connection
Alejandra most recently served as Assistant Director of Student Success at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Previously, Alejandra held leadership roles at Towson University and Bryn Mawr School, directing equity and inclusion strategies, developing intercultural training programs, and overseeing student engagement efforts. Alejandra holds a master’s degree in Teaching Spanish as a Second Language from the University of Barcelona and is completing a master’s degree in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Kate Bianco, Director of Annual Giving
Kate joins the Advancement team in Brownell with more than a decade of fundraising experience, including major gifts, alumni engagement, and donor relations. Kate spent the past 5 years at Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, most recently as Associate Director of Development. She has also worked in development roles at Rutgers University Law School and The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia. Kate earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Art Administration from Drexel University.
Mike Dooley, Girls Basketball Coach, Upper Campus Library Assistant, Transportation Coordinator
Mike brings 13 years of coaching experience across the prep, NCAA Division III, AAU, and high school varsity levels, along with a strong reputation for program building, athlete development, and culture leadership.
Most recently, Michael has served as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at SPIRE Academy, where the team is currently having a banner season and has been invited to the National Prep Championships this March. In just one offseason, he significantly grew the program—expanding the roster, recruiting two Top-100 players including ESPN’s #1 player in the Class of 2026, and generating substantial enrollment growth for the program.
Karin LoVullo, Director of Advancement Services
Karin joins the Advancement team in Brownell with more than two decades of development operations experience. Karin spent the last five years at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, where she served as database manager. Prior to the Academy of Natural Sciences, Karin served in senior database management and donor research roles at Community College of Philadelphia and The Free Library of Philadelphia. Karin earned a Bachelor of Arts in both History and Studio Art from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Drexel University.
Lower School
Alyse Caffrey, Lower School Associate Teacher
Alyse is joining the Shipley community as an Associate Teacher. A graduate of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and then Shippensburg University, where she had the opportunity to play collegiate soccer for four years while earning her degree in Early Childhood Education, she then continued her education at West Chester University, earning certification in Special Education. This will be her third year in education, and she is incredibly excited to learn, grow, and build meaningful relationships with the students, families, and staff.
Jeremy Conlon, Lower School Associate Teacher
Jeremy joins the Shipley Lower School as an Associate Teacher this year. Before coming to Shipley, he worked at Ithan Elementary School, where he discovered the joy of helping elementary students learn, grow, and build confidence each day. Before beginning his career in education, he spent many years at home raising his four children, an experience that deepened his appreciation for the importance of patience, curiosity, and creating a supportive environment for young learners. Outside of school, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Laura, golfing, fly fishing, staying active, and cheering on our children in their many activities. He is grateful to be joining the Shipley community and looks forward to getting to know the students and families who make it such a special place.
Emelie Langdon, Lower School Associate Teacher
Emelie is excited about returning to education after a brief pause. Her most recent teaching experience comes from 24 years in the Lower School at Baldwin, where she taught Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Second grade. This previous school year, Emelie served very frequently as a guest teacher at the Lower Campus. During her free time, she tutors multiple students from surrounding area schools. She loves to be with friends and family and has a passion for Africa, to which she has traveled eight times.
Kellen Vengels, 2nd Grade Lead Teacher
Kellen joins the 2nd grade team with over two decades of multifaceted experience in education. A graduate of Cornell University (B.S. in Human Development) and Cabrini College (MEd in Elementary Education), she became an educator because she believes that elementary education is the vital period for building the foundational literacy and confidence necessary for lifelong success. Her favorite thing about Shipley is its dedicated focus on fostering a true love of learning; she values how the school leads with empathy to create a community of responsible citizens in which everyone thrives and is empowered to make the world a better place. To Kellen, the classroom is a team where every student deserves equitable access to participate, contribute, and grow. She recently earned her Wilson Reading System certification, which complements her use of evidence-based curricula and a diagnostic focus that treats every student’s learning path as unique. Kellen’s goal is for students to leave her classroom not only with a mastery of core academic concepts but also with the social-emotional resilience, independence, and collaborative spirit that will support them at every stage of their academic journey.
Middle School
Heather Dixon, Middle School History
Heather joins Shipley’s Middle School team as a 6th- and 8th-grade history teacher and 8th-grade advisor. She earned a Bachelor of Science in History and Secondary Education with honors from Bethel University and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in American History through the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History and Gettysburg College. Heather brings over a decade of experience teaching middle school history, having worked with students in both public and independent schools. She is passionate about helping students develop historical thinking skills, engage with diverse perspectives, and identify meaningful connections between the past and present. Before relocating to the Main Line last fall, Heather taught 7th- and 8th-grade history at Charlotte Latin School. She is excited to join the Shipley community.
Jacob Kratz, Middle School STEAM
Jake Kratz joins the Shipley community as a MS STEAM teacher and Science Olympiad Coach. He brings 13 years of experience teaching middle school science and has a passion for helping students develop curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Neumann University and has always been fascinated by science, particularly the process of designing, building, and solving problems. He loves creating hands-on learning experiences that encourage students to think critically, collaborate with others, and discover how science and engineering connect to the world around them. Outside the classroom, Jake enjoys spending time in nature, especially birdwatching and exploring the outdoors. He finds that nature provides endless opportunities for observation, wonder, and learning. He also had the opportunity to play hockey at the collegiate level, an experience that taught him the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and hard work. These are all values he strives to bring into his classroom every day. Jake looks forward to getting to know students and families and becoming an active member of the Shipley community.
Molly Morse, Middle School Latin
Molly Morse is a classicist with a deep passion for sparking a love of the ancient world in her students. She holds a BA in Classical Studies from Davidson College and an MA in Classical Languages from Villanova University. She began her teaching career at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, after which she taught for eight years at Malvern Prep. In addition to her classical training, she has studied the Russian language extensively, including academic travel through St. Petersburg and Moscow. An avid writer, Molly recently advanced their debut novel-in-progress during an intensive writing residency in Greece, where she collaborated closely with a lecturer from the University of Oxford. Outside of their academic and literary pursuits, she is a dedicated distance runner who has completed the Philadelphia and Boston Marathons.
James Sheplock, Middle School Science Long-Term Sub
James holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. Before turning to teaching, he conducted particle physics research at the Large Hadron Collider and worked as a data analyst for the State of Colorado, studying air quality across the state. He is excited to bring his love of hands-on, experiment-driven science into the classroom. Outside of science, James is a devoted movie fan and can often be found catching a film at the Philadelphia Film Society or the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. He's also a runner and a coffee lover, and he's looking forward to being part of the Shipley community this fall.
Upper School
Maya Salvacion, Upper School Math
Maya comes to us after serving two years as a part-time math teacher and coach at the Abington Friends School. A graduate of Skidmore College (BS) and Arcadia University (MEd), she became a math teacher because she believes that mathematics education has the power to transform how students see themselves as learners and as problem solvers. To her, mathematics is the study of patterns, relationships, and creative problem solving. Math is something that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and multiple pathways toward understanding. Maya’s goal is for students to leave her classroom not only with a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, but also with lifelong skills such as collaboration, resilience, and problem solving that will support them in every stage of life.
Athletics
Stef Fee, Field Hockey
Coach Stef Fee will assume the role of Varsity Head Coach. Her experience competing and coaching at the highest levels of the sport, including being a four-year starter at Duke University and a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, combined with her commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field, positions the program for continued growth and excellence. Coach Fee is the owner and director of Powerhouse Field Hockey Club and has also served on staff with the U21 U.S. National Team, contributing to the junior program’s best World Cup finish in its history.