Science Department

List of 18 members.

• 

  Mr. Matthew Dowling 

  Science Teacher/Department Chair

  Bio

  Mr. Matthew Dowling does not just teach his students science. He teaches each student how to think and learn like a scientist.

  
  

  “Saint Ignatius College Prep has a Constructivist approach to science learning,” shares Mr. Dowling, a biology teacher and the department chair. “That means that students create their own understanding of the material through experiments that they themselves conduct.”

  
  

  To tackle a concept, students in Mr Dowling’s classroom first design and complete a paradigm lab, having only hypotheses as to where the experiment will take them. From there, students use the data that they collected to form their own understanding of complex scientific topics. Then, they defend, analyze and expand upon their results in peer-review sessions.

  
  

  “Students will have a more nuanced and thorough understanding of science if they are the ones who are actually doing the science and making the leap from data to knowledge,” he states. Mr. Dowling’s approach allows him to direct students' confusion and curiosity towards scientific truths instead of lecturing and testing students.

  
  

  Indeed, science classes at Saint Ignatius College Prep operate how a real scientific lab would. “Scientists have to create their own experiments, form knowledge based on that data and defend their results to their peers,” he says. “We replicate that process in our department. We put science in the hands of the students and turn them into scientists.” 

  
  

  Countless Saint Ignatius students will go on to study engineering or a natural science in university. The skills and processes they acquire in Mr. Dowling’s class, and across the department, will allow them to thrive as real world scientists.
• 

  Mr. Jonathon Alcantara 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Mr. Ted Anderson 

  Science Teacher

  Bio

  Ted Anderson is a well-respected science teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep, where he has been educating students for the past five years. Anderson lives with his family in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, and his path to the teaching profession has been a winding one. Prior to joining the faculty at Saint Ignatius, he ran his own successful consulting business, working primarily with energy and defense industry clients. It was during this time that Anderson had a pivotal moment - he realized he could use his expertise to help companies save money, but that ultimately, that wasn't the legacy he wanted to leave behind. Teaching became his true calling, as he found the most fulfillment in sharing his passion for science with young, eager minds.
  
  Anderson's first year at Saint Ignatius was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented unique challenges, but he rose to the occasion. Now in his fifth year, he teaches a range of science courses, from introductory levels for freshmen to advanced placement sections for seniors. His course offerings span both physics and environmental science, allowing him to share his breadth of scientific knowledge with students at all stages of their academic journeys.
  
  

  In his interactions with students, Anderson emanates an infectious energy and enthusiasm for the subjects he teaches. He understands that the path to adulthood is not always linear, and he encourages his students to embrace the journey, reminding them not to put too much pressure on themselves.  Anderson said, “One of my main goals is to inspire a love of science in my students, while also imparting valuable life lessons that will serve them well long after they have left the halls of Saint Ignatius.”
  
  

  Beyond the classroom, Anderson is also heavily involved in extracurricular activities at the school. He serves a moderator for both the Environmental Alliance Club and the Harlequins Crew, providing guidance and mentorship to students passionate about environmental issues and the performing arts, respectively. Anderson's dedication to his students extends far beyond the curriculum, as he seeks to nurture their growth not just as scholars, but as well-rounded individuals preparing to take on the world.
• 

  Mr. Joseph Augustinsky 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Mr. James Gaffey 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Ms. Anne Hipple 

  Director of Student Activities, Science Teacher
• 

  Ms. Rychelle Hooper 87

  Science Teacher & Diversity Coordinator
• 

  Ms. Katie Hull 

  Science Teacher

  Bio

  In high school, Katie Hull loved her math and science classes.
  
  

  She always enjoyed the challenge of solving a problem. Even if she couldn’t figure it out right away, she knew she could get to the solution.

  
  As a teacher, she wants her students to embody that same confidence when they face a challenge.
  
  

  “The overall skills of learning how to problem-solve, learning how to approach things step-by-step. That’s the main takeaway I hope they get from their classes in high school. That way they can do whatever they want post-graduation and know they can do it on their own,” says Hull.
  
  

  More than anything else, Hull appreciates the close-knit and supportive community at Saint Ignatius College Prep.
  
  

  “You can feel the love and encouragement from colleagues and students alike everyday,” she says. “We want to come to work and be there at games, dances and all those things. That’s something that’s really special about Saint Ignatius.”
  
  

  Her message to students: Don’t spend time worrying about what other people think. Just do what feels right to you.
• 

  Ms. Nicole Lum 

  Science Teacher, Head Girls Water Polo Coach
• 

  Mr. Christopher Marks 

  Science Teacher

  Bio

  Imagine spending 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a boat on the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska.

   

  Saint Ignatius College Prep teacher, Christopher Marks, did just that. 

   

  “Storms there are quite violent, and it’s isolating because you’re 150 miles off shore, and away from people,” says Marks.

   

  His work involved collecting data to understand what species commercial fishing boats were catching.  It’s experience he took to graduate school for marine biology, and that’s where he had an epiphany.

   

  “I got to teach classes.  It was a scary moment realizing I wanted to teach it, instead of do it,” says Marks, “I took my knowledge and turned it into a teaching career.”

   

  His path brought Marks here, to Saint Ignatius College Prep where he shares his love of marine biology, born in ocean snorkeling adventures, with his students.

   

  He describes those students as “very intelligent.”

   

  “I sometimes get questions I don’t know the answer to so we learn it together. If it’s an interesting question, we go and explore,” says Marks.

   

  He hopes to give his students a deep appreciation of the biological world.  One way he does that is through an aquatic sciences class he developed with Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.

   

  "There’s some really cool stuff out there,” says Marks, who makes it his mission to spread that good word in the classroom.
• 

  Mrs. Elizabeth Moroney 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Mrs. Amanda Nickless 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Ms. Julianne Peak 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Mrs. Danielle Pierce 95

  Science Teacher

  Bio

  Have you ever wondered how you can be sitting in your chair, but moving through space at immense speeds at the same time?

  
  

  Physics can explain why, and it’s one of the reasons teacher Danielle (Martincic) Pierce ‘95 loves the subject.

  
  

  “It’s in everything you do,” she says,” To be able to understand physics and apply it, is the coolest thing ever.”

  
  

  Cool - yes. Easy - not necessarily. 

  
  

  Mrs. Pierce says the only “C” she ever received in high school was in physics. Like so many of her students today, she had a lot going on: It was senior year. She had AP courses, and balancing everything was tough.

  
  

  That said, the “C” was a progress report, not a measure of her interest in the subject.

  
  

  “It just describes everything in your physical world,” says Mrs. Pierce, whose teacher at Saint Ignatius, Mr. John Balaban ‘64,  became her mentor, and later, her colleague and dear friend.

  
  

  The mom of two girls says maroon and gold are in her bones. She met her husband at 1076 West Roosevelt Road, she had her wedding reception in Tully…and she found her educational passion here. 

  
  

  Mrs. Pierce’s hope for her students: That they’re curious.

  
  

  She says, “Physics is a great discipline. But to come up with answers, you have to ask great questions!”
• 

  Mrs. Cheri Smith 

  Science Teacher
• 

  Dr. Joel Southern PhD 

  Science Teacher, Head Baseball Coach
• 

  Mr. Todd Strobel 

  Mathematics & Science Teacher, Head Boys Volleyball Coach
• 

  Ms. Amanda Wagner 

  Science Teacher