Insight Faculty
Banks Dixon | Outdoor Adventure Instructor
Banks has worked as an outdoor guide, instructor, and environmentalist since the late 80’s, directing adventures at Camp Frederick in OH, facilitating team-building workshops through low and high ropes courses and river trips, and serving as Stewardship Coordinator for the Triangle Land Conservancy. He is an Eagle Scout, a trained American Canoe Association (ACA) Kayak Instructor, and a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). His personal travels include include thru-hiking the AT, climbing Mt. Rainier, traversing the Baja, trekking the Annapurna’s in Nepal, and kayaking the Grand Canyon. Banks owns and operates Frog Hollow Outdoors, where he works with people of all ages to gain a greater respect and understanding of themselves, others, and their environment through outdoor adventure activities.
Check out Frog Hollow’s website: https://www.froghollowoutdoors.com/
Contact: banks.dixon (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Past Courses: Insight Outside
Kevin Georgas | Humanities Instructor
Kevin is a graduate of Baylor University and Duke Divinity School. His interests are eclectic, but mostly lie at the intersection of art, politics, and religion, though he's just as happy to discuss baseball, college football, and the many glorious traditions of barbeque. Kevin is married to his wife, Caitlin. They have two children and a one-eyed cat named Stella who at this very moment is probably biting his ankles.
Contact: kevin.georgas (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Memory, Form, and Meaning; The Writer’s Life
Tyler Pulis | Math Instructor
Tyler Pulis (they/them) has 18+ years as a high school math teacher, curriculum writer, and teacher trainer. This year, Tyler’s going back to the classroom as a graduate student in Physics at NCCU, specifically working on a Nuclear Astrophysics project at Duke. In addition, Tyler serves on the Board of Directors of 1:11 Art & Healing Space where they host a game night and teach an occasional mixed-media art class. Tyler also helps to keep 1:11 running by assisting with other art classes and community events. A passionate learner, Tyler is always trying new things. Right now they are enjoying learning to box and exploring their creativity through art. After fostering a plethora of kittens with Independent Animal Rescue, Tyler now has a crew of 6 mostly “unadoptable” cats at home living their best lives.
Contact: tyler.pulis (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: NC Math 1; NC Math 2; NC Math 3
Dan Carmody-Morse | Science Instructor
Dan is a physicist, data scientist, and general outdoor wanderer. He studied physics at Carnegie Mellon University as an undergrad, received a Masters in applied mathematics from Cambridge University, and completed his PhD in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduate school he worked as an instructor in space science and outdoor education at an astronomy camp in southern California, after which he spent a few years as a data scientist at technology start-ups in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Dan is very passionate about astronomy and outer space, and he finds the stars to be a continual source of inspiration and wonder. When not deep in a book about some new scientific interest, he enjoys self-powered movement through the outdoors, mostly in the form of trail running or bicycling. Dan lives with his wife and one-year old son, and he finds his little son to be an even greater source of joy than the big Sun.
Contact: dan.carmody-morse (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Physics of the Stars
Kendra Lampron | Health Education Instructor
Kendra is originally from Lake Tahoe, CA and earned her bachelor's degree in International Development Studies at UCLA. After teaching bilingual elementary school in San Antonio, TX for two years with Teach for America, she moved to Springfield, MA where she taught 5th grade ESL. She then decided to pursue a master's degree in Public Health, which brought her to UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon graduation from the program, she served as a Bilingual Parent Advocate with the East Durham Children's Initiative. She currently teaches middle school health at Central Park School for Children and high school health at Insight. Her interests include playing piano, running, hiking, yoga, playing with her toddler and teaching sex ed.
Contact: kendra.lampron (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Past Courses: Sexual Health; Mental Health and Healing
Billy Dee | Art Instructor
Billy Dee is a Durham-based artist and educator whose art practice and teaching methods are deeply informed by their connection to community organizing and movement building work. They studied community-based and political theatre (with a focus on puppetry) at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) and over the years have created illustrations, posters, comic books, zines, and popular education materials in collaboration with numerous community organizations and journalists. They have also worked extensively as a teaching artist and artist mentor with organizations including Student U and the Durham Arts Guild. Billy completed an MFA (Fine Arts) at UNCG during which time they created a series of quilts which explored their own family history in tandem with the role of quilts in abolition movements. Billy currently teaches at Elon University and UNCG as an adjunct professor of art where they teach introductory art and design courses, and specialized courses on comics and textile arts. Billy loves to collaborate and is deeply passionate about the transformative power of art.
Contact: billy.dee (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: “Walk Towards It”: Art and Liberatory Struggle; Intro to Studio Art
Melissa Valentine | Science Instructor
Melissa teaches experiential courses in human anatomy, physiology and kinesiology. She is a Professional Yoga Therapist (PYT, C-IAYT), Physical Therapist (MPT), Ayurvedic Counselor (CAC) and Yoga Teacher (E-RYT). Her unique form of teaching and therapy blends diverse techniques learned over 25 years of training and hands-on experience treating illness and injury including experience as a personal trainer and athletic trainer in addition to physical therapy and yoga. She has owned and operated a private physical therapy/yoga integrative practice since 2009. Melissa is passionate about empowering students with confidence in their own bodies and curiosity for learning what makes the human body work.
Melissa is excited to introduce students to the history, terminology and techniques that have fueled her passion for this subject for most of her life. She looks forward to participating in fun and enlightening experiences with students that will help them answer their own questions about how the body works and formulate new ones.
Contact: melissa (dot) valentine (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Insight into Biohacking; The Biology of Wellness
Patrick O’Meara | Director of Experiential Learning
Patrick grew up on a working farm in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, honing his hard work ethic, a love for everything outdoors, and an independent problem solving streak. After graduating from Lafayette College with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in English, he went on to spend 7 years as engineering support in the biotech industry, filling his free time traveling the country for multi-day Eco-Challenge style races. In 2007, Patrick and his wife relocated to Kenya, where he spent 14 years innovating, problem solving, and mentoring on a wide array of problems drawing on his engineering skills. He established a 150-acre sustainable livelihood training center and developed the first FSC Certified Eco-Charcoal in East Africa. Patrick founded a hands-on training program and business, teaching contractor skills and mentoring his team to design and build solutions to health infrastructure problems. His team built, maintained and optimized an innovative new bio-digesting toilet in partnership with Duke University & University of Eldoret. He also designed and built two off-grid mobile diagnostic clinics, providing solar-powered digital chest x-rays to thousands of underserved patients in western Kenya. At Insight, Patrick is keen on finding new and exciting ways to ignite passion in his students as he coaches them to tackle issues in the greater Triangle community. Patrick became a District C Certified Coach in 2021 and earned certifications in Wayfinding Mentorship and Human-Centered Design for Coaches with One Stone/ Idea 51 in 2021-22.
Contact: patrickfomeara (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Courses: C-Squad: Work for the Modern World; D Lab 1.OH
Steven Gilmore | Math Instructor
Steven is a kind and curious educator and math enthusiast. Their teaching philosophy focuses on cultivating the students' problem-solving skills and creativity. They've been a math teacher for over seven years, teaching and tutoring students of all levels from grade school to college. Steven earned their Ph.D. from NCSU in 2021, with research in understanding the underlying theoretical properties of real-world models. Outside of teaching, Steven loves the outdoors and is an avid musician and home cook.
Contact: steven.gilmore (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: NC Math I, AP Statistics, AP Calculus, Music studio
Susan Haws | Executive Director
After graduating from Davidson College, Susan started her career as a Teach for America Corps Member and middle school teacher in Donna, Texas in 1993. She went on to teach English and ESL in New Orleans, LA, and Wake County, NC, where she also coached track and cross country. After observing first hand the persistent and complex barriers to well-being that her students faced, Susan found her way to the discipline of public health. Susan earned a Master of Public Health degree and a PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health, where she has taught graduate courses on research methods and program evaluation. Her research has focused on health-promoting schools, teacher professional development, prevention of adolescent health risk behaviors, and youth mentoring. Susan founded Insight in 2018. She became a District C Certified Coach in 2020 and earned certifications in Wayfinding Mentorship and Human-Centered Design for Coaches with One Stone/ Idea 51 in 2021-22.
Contact: susan (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Courses: Learning and Life Skills Workshop
Mana Reshamwala | Japanese Instructor
Mana was born and raised in Kumamoto, Japan, and has lived with her multicultural family in Durham since 2010. In addition to outside texts, she incorporates her own experience learning to communicate in new languages on the ground in Spain, England and the US. She values helping students learn skills to adjust rapidly to new cultures and learn to get by in places that are new to them. She is especially interested in bringing real-world materials and contact with Japanese speakers into the classroom, whether through movies, books, in-person guests or zoom calls linking students to speakers in other countries. When not teaching Japanese, she enjoys traveling, crafting and spending time at the nearby Scrap Exchange.
Contact: mana.reshamwala (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Courses: Japanese I and Japanese IV
Randy Benson | Film Instructor
I tell stories through film. My own story begins when I was born in the former West Germany where my father was an Air Force fighter pilot. As a military brat, I was fortunate as I moved around that I got to meet interesting people of varied backgrounds. Listening to the stories that others have to share, and embracing what we have in common - that's what drives my love of storytelling.
I attended Wake Forest on a track scholarship, traveled abroad, and upon returning to the US found myself unhappy in a corporate job. I've always loved movies and dabbled in filmmaking so I took a leap of faith. I quit the job to pursue filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts' School of Filmmaking. That's where I made my documentary short, Man and Dog. I was honored to win the 1999 Student Academy Award and be recognized internationally at the Cannes International Film Festival, the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam, and numerous other festivals and competitions.
Since then, I've been fortunate to build a life and career as a full-time working filmmaker and educator. I've taught film and video at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies for almost twenty years and now teach at Davidson College. When I’m not making films, I’m watching them. In the rest of my spare time, I cycle, swim, and relax by the fire pit with my wife, two kids, and dogs.
Filmmaking is storytelling. I love what we're creating here at Insight, where every student has their own story to tell.
Contact: randy.benson (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Courses: The Filmmaking Experience; The Documentary Film and Video Experience
Gerard Florentin | Spanish Instructor
Gerry's journey is a tapestry of diverse experiences, seamlessly integrated into his classroom at Insight Colearning, where his teaching philosophy emerges as a guiding force. Going beyond language education, Gerry emphasizes a personalized approach, allowing students to explore their individual interests and unlock their full potential. Drawing on his background in economics and international studies, including a major in petroleum from the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Gerry worked at the Trinidadian embassy in Caracas.
After pursuing a dream of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of Barcelona (CIB) in Europe, Gerry managed several restaurants in America. It was during this time that he realized the need for voices to assist the Hispanic community that doesn't speak English. This realization marked the beginning of his journey as a Spanish interpreter. Providing Spanish tutoring as a preliminary step before joining Insight Colearning, Gerry crafts an immersive learning environment. Here, he not only imparts linguistic skills but also instills a deep appreciation for Hispanic culture. Insight Colearning becomes the canvas where Gerry's diverse professional journey converges into a commitment to nurturing young minds, fostering understanding, and inspiring growth.
Contact: gerard.florentin (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Courses: Spanish I; Spanish II
AnnMarie Todd | French Instructor
Bonjour! My name is AnnMarie Todd. I have been a French teacher for sixteen years, having majored in French in college and earning a master’s degree in teaching French. am a native of North Carolina, but my heart has led me to live in Switzerland and France and travel to other francophone countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, and Haiti. I love learning about French-speaking cultures and sharing that passion with my students! I am grateful to be the instructor for French I and French III students this school year.
Contact: annmarie.todd (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Courses: French I; French III