Meet New School Faculty
Each year, Principia School is privileged to welcome accomplished new members to its team. Here, we introduce individuals who are taking on academic and student-life roles this fall:
Having taught high school mathematics in Texas for nearly 20 years, Velvet Dow (C’97) has extensive expertise in calculus and other advanced topics, computer science, and STEM coaching. She has served as a reader for AP Calculus test results and been a mentor/counselor for NASA’s High School Aerospace Scholars Program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Dow holds a BA in music from Principia College and an MA in teaching mathematics from Texas Christian University.
Upper School’s new Dean of Students Melanie Duffy (US’99) has returned to her native St. Louis after more than a decade working with students at Berkeley Hall School in Southern California. While there, Duffy served as Dean of Students and Athletic Director, with a focus on fostering a culture of individual responsibility and achievement. After graduating from the Upper School, Duffy played Division I softball and basketball at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she obtained a BA in history.
Hannah Loechner (C’14) joins the Lower School team as the third-grade teacher, bringing with her three years of private school teaching experience in Tampa, Florida. During that time, she developed experience in multiage and team teaching and in the application of cooperative learning strategies. Loechner holds a BA in elementary education from the College, where she received the Teacher Education Award her senior year.
After obtaining his BS in chemistry from Towson University, Nigel Marples went on to play professional soccer for several years in his native Canada. He then earned a master’s degree in coaching at Ohio University. Last year, he served as a coach and classroom aide at the School. This year, he joins the Upper School social studies team.
Alan Messmer joins the Lower School faculty as the fifth-grade teacher, after serving as a visiting teacher last spring. Prior to that, he spent eight years teaching at the elementary and middle school levels at Berkeley Hall in Los Angeles. Messmer holds a BA in English from Chapman University and a master's in elementary education from Grand Canyon University.
After assisting with the Upper School dance program last year, Tessa Miller (C’16) has moved into the position of Upper School dance instructor. She completed a BA in sociology and anthropology, with a minor in dance, at the College and also has experience in design.
Heather Ohlms holds a BA in education with a minor in history from Lindenwood University. Since graduating, she has taught in various school districts in the greater St. Louis area. She joins the social studies team in the Upper School.