Science Tutors
Teachers Who Tutor NYC

Alex Hurtado

Brendan Cavalier

David Poston

David has been teaching IB Chemistry and Theory of Knowledge for the last seven years at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School.  He has has been teaching IB Chemistry and Theory of Knowledge for the last nine years at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School.  He has taught and tutored chemistry for over 19 years at a variety of different levels. He holds a BA in Chemistry and Biology from Baylor University and a MA in Philosophy from the University of Houston, and he has also taught philosophy, logic, and medical ethics at the undergraduate level and beyond.  His broad educational background and teaching expertise enables him to connect with learners of all types, and he is passionate about finding creative ways for his students to be successful.  In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and anything outdoors related.

Emma Wingreen

Emma Wingreen holds a master’s degree in Computer Science Education from Hunter College and a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. She has experience tutoring in AI literacy, Computer Science, and math. Emma first started teaching Computer Science as a non-profit educator in the Dominican Republic. Since then she has worked as an elementary school and high school Computer Science teacher in New York City and as a curriculum writer at Code.org. She is passionate about helping students find their spark and believes that all students deserve a robust digital literacy education. When she’s not working, Emma loves biking around the city and meeting new dogs.

Erik Dillaman

Erik has worked in computer science education at both the high school and university level for the past twenty years. A self-described creative coder, he sees the beauty within the binary and the algorithms within the arts. Erik began his teaching career as a Teach for America volunteer and went on to teach high school Computer Science and AP Language and Composition for over a decade. While at the University of Texas at Austin, Erik created curricula for dual credit Computer Science Principles and Arts and Entertainment Technologies courses, allowing high school students to earn college credit while still in high school. Over that time, he worked with thousands of students across the state of Texas, providing just in time instruction, personalized project inspiration and management, and assistance with self-assessment and evaluation. In his view, students best master core competencies when they have choice and ownership over the topics which they pursue, and he always aims to keep the fire of wonder and possibility roaring. In his current role, Erik develops computer science curriculum with Code.org, focusing on AP Computer Science Principles and AP CS A.

Jake Sienko

Jake has over seven years of experience teaching science at both the high school and middle school levels in New York City. With a firm belief that science, though often perceived as inaccessible and challenging, can be made accessible through curiosity, questioning, and observation, he views every student as a potential scientist. Jake holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University, and a Master’s Degree in Science Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. He has experience teaching Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, and Biology and has experience tutoring in both small groups and individual students. Currently, Jake works as a curriculum developer and teacher educator at the American Museum of Natural History. When not teaching or tutoring, you can find Jake biking, hiking or eating his way around his favorite neighborhoods throughout NYC.

Joanna Shields

Jonathan Deegan

Jon has been teaching and tutoring STEM subjects since 2016 and currently teaches chemistry to 11th and 12th graders at Avenues in New York. He holds an MSc in Chemistry from Boston College and a BS in Chemistry from Loyola University Maryland, both with a focus in organic and biological chemistry. Before transitioning to full-time teaching, he served as a graduate teaching assistant in both general and organic chemistry, where he first started sharpening his ability to break down complex material for students at all levels. Drawing on his background in Exeter Math, Jon takes an integrated, problem-solving approach to tutoring that prioritizes genuine understanding over memorization.

Jos Koevoet

For over two decades, Jos has been helping high school students discover the magic of Chemistry at international private schools across Indonesia and Italy. He brings extensive experience teaching IB Diploma Chemistry, AP Chemistry, IGCSE Chemistry, and various high school curricula from New York City. His former students have gone on to succeed in diverse fields, including engineering, medicine, business, and academia. ​Jos holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Netherlands and a Master’s degree in Education from Australia. While he once considered himself a teacher of Chemistry, he now views himself as a teacher of teenagers—with Chemistry simply serving as the medium. In addition to his current role at the International School of Florence, Jos has collaborated with SmartPrep / Oxford Study Courses to design innovative methods for interactive course revision, and he has been tutoring Chemistry online since 2018. Outside the classroom, he loves exploring every nook and cranny of his adopted home of Italy.

Pheona Hunt

Pheona Hunt has been teaching high school science for over 15 years in New York City public schools. She currently teaches chemistry, physics, and AP physics at Special Music School on the Upper West Side. In addition, Pheona is an instructor for the CUNY College Now program and an instructor for chemistry education graduate courses at Hunter College. She has a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Pharmaceutical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, an MA in Science Education from City College, and an Ed. M. in school leadership from Bank Street College. When not teaching, Pheona enjoys running, reading, and returning home to spend time with her small zoo of pets in Guyana.

Daniel Norman

Daniel has been teaching undergraduate and high school physics for nearly a decade.  He received his PhD in physics at the University of Connecticut and his MS in physics from Brown University, where he taught summer classes to middle and high school students. Since receiving his PhD, he has been tutoring students in math and physics full time, with the belief that the goal is not to memorize how to solve many seemingly different problems; it is to understand an underlying interconnected web of principles and patterns within all of them.

Michael Shorr

Michael, a teacher for more than 35 years, currently teaches in the innovative Mastery Learning System at Avenues: The World School, a program he helped to develop. Leveraging rare academic range, he has a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in Chemistry with a minor in Political Science, earned a master’s at Johns Hopkins University in the History of Science and graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Songwriting. His enthusiasm for rigorous, relevant learning, focus on highlighting the talents and interests of each specific child, and commitment to personalizing his work to each student’s interests and learning style helps students tap their motivation to succeed, even in subjects they may have previously resisted. In other words, Michael specializes in uncovering what makes each student truly passionate about learning.

Matt Dilley

With undergraduate degrees in Psychology and English, Matt Dilley’s successful 25 years as an upper school science teacher in competitive independent schools seems improbable. But if you were to ask him, Matt would say that it is precisely the lack of formal training in Biology and Physics that makes him effective. In particular, he connects with students that struggle because their challenges were his not so long ago. As a teacher of subjects that students historically find difficult to learn, Matt feels that his first responsibility is to create a context in which students feel permitted to present their ideas for analysis and possible correction and this approach is core to his work as a tutor. Though his work is firmly grounded in classroom practice, Matt has worked as the chair of a science department, a dean, and led a variety of professional development workshops for colleagues in New York City. Matt has taught information-dense biology curricula to 9th and 11th graders at Packer Collegiate Institute, Poly Prep and Millbrook School. He’s also taught a fundamental Physics class to students in both 9th and 11th grade at those schools as well as the AP Physics 1 course at Friends Seminary School, where he currently teaches. Matt has tutored students at a variety of levels in Physics and Biology and deeply appreciates the opportunity to coach a single student on their journey as a learner.

Jess Smith

Jess has been an Upper School Science teacher for over 25 years. She has taught many 9th-12th grade science courses, including AP Biology, Advanced Biology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Ecology and Bioethics. Jess encourages her students to approach biology as a captivating story instead of facts to be memorized. She enjoys helping students learn deeply by fostering critical thinking skills and by guiding students to make connections across topics. Jess has been fortunate to combine her love of experiential learning with many trips abroad and has led travel-study programs in Kenya, Tanzania, India, and the Galápagos Islands during her tenure at BC. She is also an avid gardener and a parent of two, who loves outdoor activities of many kinds, especially hiking with friends and her beloved dog, Louie.

Mark Howell

Mark Howell currently teaches Honors Physics, AP Physics C and 3 STEM courses (CAD and 2 Engineering courses). Mark has taught all levels of math, physics and STEM classes. His areas of expertise include math through and including Geometry, AP Calculus, Physics, AP Physics C (Mechanics), College Physics I, SAT Math and ACT Math & Science, as well as Regents Math & Physics. Mark received a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in the Science of Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education in Math and Physics at Catholic University. His extensive tutoring career started when he was in high school and continued when he was a TA at Villanova. Since the time he was young, Mark has loved learning and helping others to learn.

Russell Kenner

Russell currently teaches AP Physics as well as Astronomy at Robert Louis Stevenson School. In past years he also taught Chemistry, Logic, Maths, and a number of electives within the Life Science and holds NYS certificate for 7-12 Mathematics. Russell holds a bachelor’s in engineering from the University of Rochester and an MSEd from Pace.  After several years teaching Math for NYC DOE he left to pursue and earn his Master’s of Library and Information Science from Drexel and spent time working in the collections department of a museum and a researcher for a documentary film.  Russell has nearly two decades of teaching experience in a wide assortment of environments: public, independent, and as a traveling set teacher for numerous stage, film, and television productions.  He previously held NYS and NYC licenses for Pyrotechnic Displays and has literally fired thousands of pounds of fireworks into the skies.  These days he’s more likely to look for a long hike, take in a concert, or play an absurdly long boardgame.

Samantha Hampton

Samantha teaches biology and human physiology at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in NYC. Samantha first started tutoring her peers when she was in high school, which is when her passion for teaching others began. She studied Cellular & Molecular Biology and Genetics at Northern Kentucky University and earned her master’s degree in education from the University of the Cumberlands. Her teaching concentrations are Science 5-9 and Biology 8-12. Before teaching, Samantha worked in a neuroscience laboratory studying Parkinson’s disease. Outside of teaching and tutoring, she enjoys walking in nature, CrossFit, and finding new coffee shops to read in. Her motto is: “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good is the best legacy you can leave behind.”

Sergio Martinez

Sergio currently teaches AP Physics 1, Aerospace Engineering (PLTW), and Unmanned Aircraft Systems at Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering (Passaic, NJ). In his thirteen years of teaching, he has also taught Biology, Environmental Science, and Principles of Engineering (PLTW). Outside the classroom, Sergio has advised the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the Technology Student Association, the First Tech Challenge Robotics Team, and the Math Honor Society clubs. Sergio earned an AB in Biology from Harvard University and a MA in Teaching and Learning from Colorado State University. He is dual certified in high school physics and biology. When not at work, Sergio likes to spend time with his two young children (ages 4 and 7), building robots, eating Peruvian food, and dancing with his wife.

Stacy Goldstein

Stacy Goldstein is a four-time Math for America (MƒA) Master Teacher with nearly 20 years of teaching experience. She holds three New York State teaching certifications in Chemistry (7–12), Biology (7–12), and Computer Science (K–12), and currently leads the Science Research program at Midwood High School. She has also taught Chemistry, Biology, Robotics, Computer Science and Science Research. She believes in student-centered learning that promotes curiosity, problem solving, and critical thinking skills, and in her tutoring sessions, she helps students build confidence and master challenging concepts by connecting lessons to real-world applications.