Instructors
Session One & Two Instructors
Julie Dillard
Julie Dillard is a nationally board-certified teacher-librarian and a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has extensive experience with facilitating creative writing and literature courses, including her time teaching students at the Davidson Academy. Currently a full-time librarian, Julie loves reading and talking about fabulous books, teaching information and digital literacy lessons, and collaborating with colleagues across disciplines to provide engaging and resource-rich instruction. She enjoys traveling, trying out new recipes, playing trivia games, and doting on Benny, the world’s sweetest golden retriever.
Brett Guisti
Brett Guisti earned a BS in physics and an MS in technology, both from Brigham Young University. He started his college career studying computer engineering but found he was more interested in the big questions that physics asks (and frustrated with out of place commas in his code). Brett has been teaching for 21 years, including 16 years at the Davidson Academy. He has taught a variety of physics and technology related courses over the years including engineering, robotics, astronomy, philosophy of science, quantum mechanics, AP physics, and several different permutations of introductory physics. He loves the curiosity of the students in the Young Scholar program and looks forward to working with them this summer.
Lauren Griffin
Lauren has always enjoyed learning about the humanities, and this has translated into the joy of teaching the humanities. She has a BA with a dual major in Political Science and History and an MA in Teaching Secondary Social Studies. Lauren has taught in Vermont, Minnesota, New Zealand, and at UNR in the College of Education and the Core Humanities program. This is her ninth year at the Davidson Academy. She has taught Patterns in Ancient & Modern History, Art: Drawing & Painting, History of the U.S., Principles of American Government, and Understanding the Post 9/11 World. This year, Lauren is teaching Principles of American Government and Economics and Understanding the Post 9/11 World.
Session Three & Four Instructors
Ian De Jong
Dr. Ian has been reading about, writing about, thinking about, and enjoying the natural world for a very long time. After teaching at the college level for nearly ten years, he moved to the Davidson Academy in 2019, and has enjoyed every minute of his tenure there. In addition to literature- and writing-focused classes, he’s taught podcasting, improv, and theater. He likes teaching for Davidson Summer Programs because students have ideas that are exciting and fresh – DSP students are always thinking creatively about the problems in front of them.
Ben Brown
Ben Brown graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, followed by a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Nevada, Reno. Ben has always had a passion for how technology can be used to better the education system. As a grad student he focused on this topic, working on two interdisciplinary teams with the university’s college of education focused on new ways to use online interactions to improve classroom learning, and completed his master’s thesis focusing on Human Computer Interaction in Educational Gaming Software. He joined Davidson Academy Online in 2017 as their first (and so far only) Technology Manager, where he also teaches Music Theory and Computer Science. Outside of work Ben has always been active in the community and can often be found performing in local musical ensembles, playing cello and handbells.
Lauren Griffin
Lauren has always enjoyed learning about the humanities, and this has translated into the joy of teaching the humanities. She has a BA with a dual major in Political Science and History and an MA in Teaching Secondary Social Studies. Lauren has taught in Vermont, Minnesota, New Zealand, and at UNR in the College of Education and the Core Humanities program. This is her ninth year at the Davidson Academy. She has taught Patterns in Ancient & Modern History, Art: Drawing & Painting, History of the U.S., Principles of American Government, and Understanding the Post 9/11 World. This year, Lauren is teaching Principles of American Government and Economics and Understanding the Post 9/11 World.