Meet Some of Our DEP Faculty

Our University DEP faculty are chosen carefully based on a combination of their teaching experience, ability to connect with students and parents, ability to relate to high school administration and faculty, and ability and willingness to be flexible. Our high school teachers are experienced and have a passion for teaching in CPS. Here are a few of our excellent DEP teachers:

Ms. Virginia Beetz teaches MATHEMATICS at the Hughes Center and at Western Hills Design Technology and Western Hills University High Schools. She is a Field Service Associate Professor for the College of Applied Science at UC and teaches College Algebra I, II, and Trigonometry in the Dual Enrollment Program.  Professor Beetz recently relocated to the Northern KY area from Waterbury, CT where she formerly served as an IT Director for one of CT's twelve community colleges.  Her prior teaching experience includes teaching mathematics, statistics and programming at high school, community college, and university levels, as well as courses in information technology and networking.  Contact:beetzvl@UCMAIL.UC.EDU

Ms. Lea Brinker is a Cincinnati native. She earned degrees at Marquette University (B.A.) and at UC (M.A.). She says that she is conflicted when the Bearcats play the Golden Eagles in basketball. She has also done course work at Xavier University and at the College of Mount St Joseph. Ms. Brinker has taught MATHEMATICS for Cincinnati Public Schools for almost twenty years, all of them on the Western Hill campus. She can’t imagine teaching anywhere else. “This is where I was intended to be,” she says. “I realized that the first day I came to the building.” Prior to that, she had taught in several parochial elementary schools, as well as in the Oak Hills School District. This is her first year to teach in the DEP, though she was instrumental in establishing the program. She has been married forever to Steve, her lawyer husband. They have two sons, David and Alan. Their household also includes at least one cat-in-residence. When she has spare time, Brinker enjoys reading, puttering around the yard, and pretending to play golf, which she finds to be a wonderful and challenging application of trigonometry.

Contact: brinkel@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Ms. Barbara Cassidy attended the College of Mt. St. Joseph where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She then earned a MAT in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati. She has taught MATHEMATICS in the CPS system for 18 years. She has also taught at Wilson Jr. High in Hamilton and Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash. She has a daughter who is a sophomore at Wright State University studying BioMedical Engineering. During the summer, when she’s not reading or vacationing at Myrtle Beach, she keeps active on the links, as she participates in a golf league.

Contact: casidb@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Dr. Grace Epstein teaches ENGLISH COMPOSITION at the Hughes Center.  

Grace Epstein received her B.A. degree from Capital University. Following that, she lived and worked in Israel for several years before pursuing graduate school at the Ohio State University, where she obtained an MA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in Postcolonial literature. After eighteen years teaching around the Midwest, she joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati in 2002. She has two adult children, enjoys camping, acting and writing for the theater.

Contact: EPSTEIGA@UCMAIL.UC.EDU

Epstein and Ms. Carr on the FLOOR preparing for a class.

Mr. Dominic LoVaglio teaches BIOLOGY, Anatomy/Physiology, and Chemistry at Aiken High School. He initially went to college to obtain a degree in business. For 12 years, he worked for the Coca Cola Bottling Company in Youngstown, Ohio. He returned to college in1986 to pursue a degree in education. His degree, in Education, is from Youngstown State University. He is married to Patricia who works for Lighthouse Youth Services and together they have two daughters: Danielle, a graduate of John Carroll University, and Nicole a senior at the University of Cincinnati, CAS.

Contact: lovagl@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Mr. Maurice Peck teaches ENGLISH COMPOSITION at Western Hills Design Technology and Western Hills University High Schools.Mr. Peck has a M.A. from Xavier University.

His first experience teaching was as a Peace Corps volunteer in French-speaking Togo, West Africa where he taught English as a Second Language. After leaving the Peace Corps, he studied linguistics and ESL methodology at the Royal Society of Arts in London. After earning certification in London, he joined the faculty of the College of Mount Saint Joseph where he taught ESL, French, and English Composition courses. Maurice now enjoys teaching English at the University of Cincinnati. Contact: peckm@email.uc.edu

Peck in an individual session with a student.

Mr. Gerald S. Reid is an Associate Professor at UC and currently teaches SOCIOLOGY at Aiken University H.S. He has a M.A. in Sociology, and has completed course work for a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati. He has taught at the UC for over 35 years and is, today, the Director of the Dual-Enrollment Program. He has conducted research on alcohol and other drug use among high school students. All three of his children attended UC and live here in the Cincinnati area. He has 4 grandchildren and spoils them every chance he gets – OH! …and he has a dog named Boo! He loves to read and lately, has become interested in genealogy. It is his belief that, “…a dead relative is a good relative!” Contact: gerald.reid@uc.edu

Ms. Rita Seifert is a 12th grade MATHEMATICS teacher at Western Hills University High School. She has a B.A. in Mathematics from Marian College in Indianapolis, and a Masters in Education from the College of Mt. St. Joe in Cincinnati. She has taught in both private and public schools. Rita has been with the Cincinnati Public School District since 1994. She is a National Board Certified teacher, 2001 and was a 2002 State finalist in Ohio for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Program.

Ms. Seifert is thrilled to be part of the Dual Enrollment Program. She says, "The DEP program is invaluable in helping high school students experience the rigor of a college level course, while at the same time enabling them to appreciate the work involved in learning on a collegiate level. Having both a high school teacher and a college professor in the same room really makes the difference in the number of seniors able to bridge the gap between success in high school and success in college." Contact: seiferr@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Ms. Liz Thole has been teaching ENGLISH at Western Hills Design Tech for 19 years. She has been one of our DEP teachers since the inception of the program. As a graduate of Ursuline Academy, she completed her B.A. in English at Xavier University and her M.A. in English at Miami University. She loves cooking traveling and spoiling her nieces and nephews. In the summer she works as a cook in an independent living/retirement home. She enjoys this ALMOST as much as teaching. In her next life, (after she retires), she wants to pursue her interest in culinary arts. Contact: tholeel@cpsboe.k12.oh.us

Dr. William Van Sickle teaches BIOLOGY at Aiken University H.S. He has a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Boston University, and a M.A. in Physiology and a B.S. in Behavioral Psychology from Western Michigan University. He has spent most of his adult life working as a scientist/researcher for such organizations as Hill Top Research, Inc., Edison Biotechnology Center, and Hoechst Marion Roussel. His biomedical research has been extensive in the area of pharmacology, biology, and chemistry. He has approximately 8 years experience as a college professor at the University of Tennessee and UC. He enjoys home brewing and gardening.

Contact: wvansickle@juno.com

Read some thoughts from one of our DEP faculty members:

“I think the DEP has proven that with high quality instruction, and enough support, even the most "at risk" students can achieve at high levels. I've seen so many students become successful in college and later in life, simply because the DEP courses helped them to see their real potential. I've taught all levels of English in my career - from ninth grade "repeaters" to Advanced Placement seniors - but the DEP course has been the most challenging for me. It has also been by far the most rewarding.” Liz Thole, Western Hills Design Tech

For a copy of DEP Faculty Policies click here.