Brandi Hosack, Academy Director
Ms. Hosack is originally from Athens, a small town in east Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Kinesiology and Biology. She began her career in AISD in 2004, teaching biology, chemistry, and physics, and also coached softball for many years. She received her M.Ed. from The University of Texas at Austin. This is her fifth year as a school administrator.
Ms. Hosack’s contact information:
(512) 841-9870
Christine Kesling, Academy Counselor
Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised along the Long Island coastline, Christine left the Big Apple behind and headed to rural Kentucky for her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Upon graduation, she came to Texas to visit her sister and never returned home. Christine has lived in Fort Worth, Mansfield (where she lived while attending UTA for her master's in education), and Nacogdoches before landing in Austin. She has taught, 8th grade language arts and reading, and ELA 1, 3, and 4 at the high school level. Christine just completed her school counselor certification and is excited to have joined the outstanding counseling team at Akins. Christine has twins, one attending UT and the other, St. Edward's, and in her spare time likes to bake and read murder mysteries.
You can email Ms. Kesling at:
Regina McGough, Academy Coordinator & School Improvement Facilitator
Ms. McGough is originally from Woodbridge, Virginia. She graduated from Radford University with a B.S. in Anthropology and Earth Science. She began her teaching career in Armenia as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1998. After returning to the United States she began teaching Earth Science in Prince William County, Virginia. She earned a Masters Degree in Education from Old Dominion University and moved to Austin in 2007. She has taught biology, chemistry, physics, IPC, and Earth/Space science, and CTE courses. She teaches as Austin Community College on Saturdays. She has been with Akins since 2007 as a department chair and Academy coordinator. This is her 1st year as the New Tech Academy Coordinator and Instructional Curriculum Specialist.
Ms. McGough's contact information:
(512) 841-9720
Lora Alaniz, Graphic Design
Lora Alaniz, a Mexican-American native of SouthTexas, is a first generation college graduate and certified educator. Before coming to Akins New Tech and AISD, she managed the clubGEN program for GENaustin for five years, served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) with College Forward and taught in Tucson, Arizona for over seven years before returning to Austin. Her teaching experience is focused within Latino communities, where she helped develop socially and politically relevant curriculum to meet the needs of at-‐risk youth. Her curriculum has been published in a variety of venues, including a South Tucson oral history book project. Outside of academia, she is a passionate visual artist. Her artwork has been exhibited at Tucson Museum of Art, Texas Tech University, Arizona University, PlaySpace in San Francisco, Arroyo Arts Collective in Los Angeles, Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater in New York, and the Prenelle Gallery in London. You can email Ms. Alaniz at:
Joe Broome, Digital Animation & Video Game Design
Joe Broome was born in Norman Oklahoma, moved to Mississippi, New Mexico and South Louisiana with his Air Force family and settled in Houma Louisiana for most of his childhood. He got his BA in Fine Art and Minored Education at Loyola University in New Orleans and taught for several years in Texas after getting his teacher's certification at Houston Baptist University. He then moved to Maryland for ten years where he received his Masters in Educational Technology Leadership until he got a job teaching Digital Media at Akins High School in South Austin. You can see his student's portfolios at the following URL.www.akinseagles.com He has played in bands continually for all his adult life and you can listen to his music at www.safelylimitless.com . His goal is to make the world safe and fun for everyone so that he can live in a safe and fun world.
You can email Mr. Broome at:
David Doerr, Newspaper & Commercial Photography
Mr. Doerr teaches Journalism 1, Graphic Design, and Commercial Photography. He has taught at Akins for four years and currently advises the student newspaper The Eagle's Eye. Before teaching Mr. Doerr worked as a reporter for the Waco Tribune-Herald for almost three years. While working as a reporter he covered various beats including education, politics and public policy. Mr. Doerr first became involved in student media while a student at Texas State University – San Marcos, where he majored in print journalism and political science. Mr. Doerr enjoys photography and learning how to use Adobe software to create eye-catching designs for various formats. In his free time, Mr. Doerr enjoys watching movies and spending time with his family.
You can email Mr. Doerr at:
Check out the following links to various Web sites related to Mr. Doerr's classes.
www.akinsgraphicdesign.blogspot.com
www.akinseaglespublications.com
www.twitter.com/JournalismDoerr
Ginger Nutall, Biology
Ms. Nutall graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word with a bachelors in Biology. This is Ms. Nutall's sixth year teaching, and she is currently working on her masters in Counseling through Texas State University in San Marcos. On the weekends she enjoys spending time with her family and shopping.
If you need to contact Ms. Nutall, please email her at:
Lisa Wood, Algebra I & Geometry
Ms. Wood is originally from a small north Texas called Leonard. In college, she received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Social Work from Texas State University. She is currently finishing a master's degree in School Counseling. Before Akins, Ms. Wood spent her teaching years at Lockhart High School. This will be her third year at Akins. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading and exploring nature.
You can email Ms. Wood at:
Rachel Willey, English I & II
Ms. Willey is originally from Dallas, TX. In college, she majored in English and Communications receiving a Bachelors of Arts degree from Texas A&M University. After college Ms. Willey worked in advertising for the Texas Wedding Guide. After 2 years she finally started teaching English in Bastrop ISD. This is her first year working in Austin ISD. Outside of school, she enjoys being active in excerise, reading, watching reality TV, playing with her maltipoo Jax and spending time with her family and friends. Rachel also has a crazy obsession with Tudor History and loves all historical fiction.
You can email Ms. Willey at:
Susie Gielow, Digital & Interactive Media
Ms. Gielow is originally from Springfield, MO. She attended Missouri State University, and earned her B.S. in Marketing/Advertising. She has been living in Austin, TX for the past nine years, and this will be her fourth year at Akins. Ms. Gielow teaches Business Information Management as well as Digital and Interactive Media classes. She loves being a part of the New Tech Academy, and also coaches cheerleading and freshman volleyball.
Ms. Gielow loves spending time with her two large dogs (a German Shepard and a Pit-mix), and she is busy with planning her upcoming wedding in the Spring. She also enjoys watching sports, reading books, and seeing live music.
You can email Ms. Gielow at:
Allen Hubbard, Physics
Mr. Hubbard grew up in Richardson Texas and then attended Stephen F. Austin State University. Mr. Hubbard studied physics, engineering and math at school and worked as a lab instructor. After school he decided he wanted to go into teaching and joined the New York City Teaching Fellows - a program that places new teachers into inner-city schools in New York. Mr. Hubbard taught in The Bronx for four years at various schools, and met his wife in New York. Mr. Hubbard moved back to Texas and has taught physics at Akins HS Since 2013. In his free time Mr. Hubbard enjoys playing with his dog, camping and tinkering with anything that has wheels.
You can email Mr. Hubbard at:
Laura Fleming-Holcomb, Graphic Design & Yearbook
Ms. Fleming started advising yearbook at Akins High School in 2013. Previously, she was media adviser at Canyon High School in New Braunfels. Ms. Fleming holds a B.A. in Journalism from Southern Methodist University, and an M.A. in Public Affairs from The American University in D.C. She's worked as a print reporter, and as a producer at Fox NYC before returning to Texas to teach journalism. Outside of school hours, Fleming enjoys photography, distance-running, and traveling with her husband and two kids.
You can email Ms. Fleming-Holcomb at:
Natalee Peterson, Algebra I & II, Math ILT
Wife of one, mother of two, teacher of many...
It took me a while to "find myself," but I finally know what I want to be when I grow up! I have held several other careers in retail, hotel management, transportation and logistics to name a few and I have a rich service industry background. I graduated with my first degrees (BA Psychology and Math) and then went back to school to obtain teacher certification in 2003. I have been in the classroom since 2005 and completed my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in 2011. I can honestly say that there's no place I'd rather be!
You can email Mrs. Peterson at:
natalee.peterson@austinisd.org
Please visit her classroom website at:
Elizabeth Phillips, Computer Science
Ms. Phillips is originally from a small town called Aledo near Fort Worth, TX. In college, she majored in Computer Science receiving a Bachelors of Science degree from Texas A&M University. This is her first year working in Austin ISD. Outside of school, she enjoys running long distance, going to the movies, shopping, and hanging out with friends and family.
You can email Ms. Phillips at:
Bob Williams, Computer Networking
Mr. Williams, New Tech's computer networking teacher, is from Macomb, Oklahoma. He graduated from Macomb High School in 1985 in a class of 22 seniors. From 1989 to 1994 he served as a non commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corp. In 1998 he graduated from East Central University in Ada Oklahoma with a bachelor's of science degree. Mr. Williams then moved to Austin in 2001 and started teaching CTE courses and coaching boys soccer at Akins High School. He has a wife of 25 years and two adult children both of which are graduates of Akins High School.
You can email Mr. Williams at:
