who we are

Ningning Song earned her B.S in Mathematics from Bard College and her Ph.D from the University of Georgia. Her research focused on stochastic processes and its application in the analysis of financial markets.

Dr. Song grew up in Beijing, China. Her interest in mathematics began at an early age when her father, a former high school teacher, brought home math competition problem sets. During graduate school, she discovered her passion for teaching. Dr. Song taught undergraduate precalculus and calculus classes over the course of six years. Her teaching philosophy is best described with a Chinese poem “only a thousand flowers blooming can be called spring.” She believes there is a place for every scholar in the world.

In her free time, Dr. Song loves nature and spending time with her family.

Dr. Song teaches advanced mathematics and physics at Academe of the Oaks.

Jessica Shartouny, Ph.D., earned a B.S. in Chemistry from The University of Virginia’s College at Wise and a Ph.D. in Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis from Emory University. Her research has specialized in animal-derived antivirals, influenza infections, and, currently, viral immunology. She has taught biology and experimental techniques to undergraduate students and mentored several young researchers in the laboratory.

Outside of the lab, Jessica attends comic conventions in handmade costumes and plays cello in a community group. She has four cats, two frogs, and a dog. On the weekends, she volunteers as an educator for the Amphibian Foundation in Atlanta.

Jessica teaches cell biology, physiology, and zoology at Academe of the Oaks.

Owen Alldritt, Ph.D., earned BAs in Psychology and Philosophy from Carleton College, an MA in Philosophy from The New School for Social Research, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Emory University. His Ph.D. dissertation explored a marginalized tradition of argumentation about moral relativism in 20th-century English-speaking ethics. He has taught a wide variety of classes, ranging from Philosophy of Film to Bioethics.

He lives in Decatur with his wife and their two cats. You can often find him at the movies, on the hiking trail, or cooking in the kitchen.

Dr. Alldritt teaches English and History at Academe of the Oaks.

Patterson received her BFA from Georgia State University and MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute. She has exhibited nationally and was awarded the 2012 Forward Arts Foundation/Swan Coach House Emerging Artist Grant. Her passion has been to share her knowledge of various disciplines including drawing, painting, and printmaking to help students develop their skills and push themselves as creators. She has previously taught visual arts at The San Francisco Art Institute, Georgia State University, Woodward Academy, and The Globe Academy, working with students of all ages and across a wide range of classes, both 2 and 3 dimensional.

She is also the mother of two little boys, two cats, and an Australian Shepard. In her free time, she loves running and working in her garden.

Senora Cantos teaches Spanish at Academe of the Oaks.

A native of Missouri, Robert Glor received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Missouri State University. While in St. Louis, he developed the choral program at St. Louis Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), taught public school, and completed a master’s degree in voice performance from Webster University. In 2007, he received his doctorate in music education from Shenandoah University (Winchester, Virginia).

Dr. Glor is the founding artistic director of OurSong, the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chorus, now completing its fourteenth season; he was formerly artistic director of the Atlanta Feminist Women’s chorus. He has been coordinator of K–12 choral music for the DeKalb County School District, and choral director (and chairman of the department of fine arts) at Chamblee High School. Dr. Glor’s choral groups have consistently received Superior ratings at choral festivals.

Involved with choral music performance and conducting for more than thirty-five years, Dr. Glor directs the choir and the select Academe Singers choral ensemble at Academe of the Oaks.

Steve Rucker (Professor of Music, University of Miami), and completed the Certificate Program at Drummers Collective, New York City. He has more than eight years’ experience as a private drum instructor, and ten years’ experience as a touring and recording drummer for a number of major-label acts.

Mr. Strauss teaches disparate styles and skill levels using a practical and musical approach to drumming. The curriculum he has developed for the high school includes rhythms in various styles, timing, dynamics, reading standard notation, rudiments and more advanced techniques of drumming, and independence. He emphasizes musicality, feel, development of creative abilities and listening analysis.

Mr. Strauss teaches drumming at Academe of the Oaks.

Mr. Lora is an alumnus of Academe of the Oaks. He is teaching guitar at Academe.

Mr. Komari Simmons and Tyree Weston from Code Hodlers are co-teaching the Computer Science and Game Design Class at Academe of the Oaks.

Code Hodlers offers a unique platform where young minds can unleash their creativity and build their own video games while mastering the art of coding. Mr. Simmons has a degree from Florida A&M University in public relations and Mr. Weston from Kennesaw State University in game design.

The program’s comprehensive curriculum ensures that students are exposed to a wide range of coding concepts, including block-based coding in Microsoft MakeCode, coding in JavaScript, and game development using Unity.

In conclusion, Code Hodlers offers an immersive and fun-filled coding experience that goes beyond traditional education. Through their dynamic curriculum and hands-on learning, students gain a powerful skill set that opens doors to future success in the job market and academic endeavors. With Code Hodlers, young learners become the architects of their own innovation, shaping a world where their coding prowess knows no bounds.

Chris Robinson graduated from Western Kentucky University with a B.S. in Science. He was inducted into the Western Kentucky Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. In 1996, he was drafted by the NBA and played for the Vancouver Grizzlies and then the Sacramento Kings. Chris even played oversees in France, Belgium, Spain, China, and Venezuela. Chris’ experience includes coaching the Fulton Leadership Academy to three straight state playoff appearances. Most recently, he served as middle school coach at the Children’s School of Atlanta. Chris Robinson is very passionate about coaching and being a role model for the students. He loves to see his students excel on and off the court.

Chris lives in Atlanta with his family. He is the Athletic Director and Basketball Coach at Academe.

Sumar Deen received her B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Spanish from University of Georgia. She went on to obtain a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Georgia State University. She is currently in the process of obtaining her Associate Professional Counseling License (A.P.C.), and will be pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.) through postgraduate counseling supervision.  Sumar Deen was born in Nairobi, Kenya, moving to Decatur when she was five years old to start kindergarten. As part of her training to become a mental health counselor, Sumar returned to her alma mater to complete a year-long internship at the Decatur High School Student Center. In her work there, she discovered her passion for counseling with teens by providing individual counseling to students, conducting group counseling sessions for students and parents, and providing psychoeducation in classroom and small-group settings.

Not content with merely tending to her buzzing colonies, Deb extends her love for bees into the realm of education. As an instructor, she imparts her extensive beekeeping knowledge and manages the Tara Beekeepers Association’s Teaching Apiary at Academe of the Oaks in Decatur. Deb serves two local Atlanta bee clubs—as the Past President of the Tara Beekeepers Association and as a former board member of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association, where she was the Committee Chair for the Cindy Hodges Young Beekeeper Scholarship, an initiative aiding schools in establishing on-campus apiaries.

Venturing beyond conventional beekeeping, Deb has embarked on innovative efforts to advocate for bees and raise awareness. Recently, she began collaborating with the Georgia Beekeepers Association Prison Beekeeping Program, where she educates incarcerated individuals about the vital role of bees. Additionally, Deb works alongside tree companies and arborists, striving to preserve wild honey bee colonies inhabiting trees marked for removal due to disease or decay. Her mission involves carefully extracting the tree sections housing the bees, preserving the colonies within their nest cavities—a thoughtful approach to both conservation and education.

In 2022, Deb received her Master Beekeeper Certification from Cornell University.

Jenn was born in Mauritius and spent her childhood growing up in Southern Africa, specifically Malawi and South Africa. She graduated from the University of Natal, Durban (South Africa) with a BA in French and Spanish literature, and is fluent in French and proficient in Spanish. After college she moved to the US to get to know her mother’s birth country and family. She has worked in various industries in Marketing and administrative support roles. Outside of work, Jenn enjoys gardening, hiking with her beloved dogs, cooking and teaching yoga and meditation. She lives in Decatur with her husband and teenage son.

Ms. Betsy Oliver has nearly 20 years of professional fundraising experience. She specializes in helping fundraising clients manage staff shortages and organizational changes by providing strategic and task-related counsel. In her free time Betsy likes to read, run, try new restaurants, and travel. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. Ms. Oliver has worked for Community Farmers Markets, Global Growers Network, HOPE Atlanta, The Wren’s Nest, Black Ice Film, and many others. She holds and Bachelor of Arts and is a certified fundraising executive. She will focus on fundraising for Academe.