Welcome to the
HS MSE @
CCNY
Class of 2015
Fall Open House
HS MSE @ CCNY is a diverse learning community that draws
strength from the fact that students, teachers and staff are from a wide
range of backgrounds, beliefs, and attitudes. What we share is a love
of learning and the desire to make the world a better place. One of the
school’s primary goals is to provide an environment in which
everyone feels safe and welcome.
The Administrative Team
Our Principal, Bill Dugan, has been an educator in the New York City public school system for the past
fifteen years. He earned his bachelor degree from Fordham University, where he majored in Biology and
completed a minor in Philosophy. He received his master degree in education from Pace University. Mr.
Dugan taught Biology and Marine Science in Downtown Brooklyn for six years before becoming a
founding member of HS MSE. In his career he has served as an Assistant Principal, Dean, Program
Chairman, Attendance Coordinator, UFT Chapter Leader, Coach, Athletic Director and as a Mentor to new
teachers. In the summer of 2005 Mr. Dugan studied at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole
Ma. In 2003 and 2004 he was a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University where he conducted research on
Flow Dynamics of the Hudson and East Rivers. Mr. Dugan is a guest lecturer at the City College of New
York and he has served as a member of the New York City High School Science Advisory Panel.
Dr. Gary Biester is the Assistant Principal of our Mathematics Departments. He has been an educator for
the past twenty-six years. He earned his doctoral degree form Teachers College, Columbia University. He
holds master degrees from the New School for Social Research and the City College of New York. He
earned an Advanced Certificate in Educational Administration from Hunter College and his bachelor
degree from Eastern College. Prior to joining our staff Dr. Biester was a Senior Assessment Coordinator for
Region Five. He also served as the Assistant Principal for Mathematics at the Bayard Rustin Educational
Complex. Dr. Biester has been an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Fashion
Institute of Technology, Hunter College and the City College of New York.
Wylie Burgan is the Assistant Principal of our Humanities Department. He supervises the Social Studies,
English, and Languages Other Than English departments. Mr. Burgan began his career over 20 years ago
as a student teacher in John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx, NY, while completing his
undergraduate study in Political Science and Education at Columbia University. Throughout his career,
Mr. Burgan has taught Social Studies, English, and Special Education in public high schools in Chicago,
Illinois; Fort Pierce, Florida; Bedford, New York; and New York City as well as served as an Assistant
Professor of Social Sciences and Education at Brevard Community College in Melbourne, Florida and as
an Adjunct Lecturer at Valencia Community College in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida. Mr. Burgan
received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Columbia University. He has completed
graduate studies at Queens College, The New School for Social Research, and City College in Social
Science Education, Political Science, and Educational Administration. Prior to joining our staff at HS
MSE, Mr. Burgan taught at Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx, where he served as the
Coordinator of the Justice Academy and coach of the award winning Herbert H. Lehman High School Law
Team.
Andy Podell is a founding member of the HS MSE staff and is the Assistant Principal of the Science and
Engineering Department. He earned his bachelor and master degrees in Electrical Engineering at
Manhattan College. As an engineer for almost 30 years, Andy worked for defense electronics and
communications industry leaders like Loral Electronics, and Lockheed Martin. Prior to joining our staff
Andy was the Director of Research and Development Engineering at Comverse, a billion dollar, multinational telecommunications company. He taught Engineering at Manhattan College for 7 years. In
addition to teaching at the high school Andy is also an instructor at the City College of New York. In 2006
he received the School of Engineering’s Part Time Instructor of the Year award. Andy earned his
Certificate in Educational Administration at the City College of New York.
Steven Roseman has been the Assistant Principal of Operations at HS MSE for the past seven years. Mr.
Roseman began his career as an educator almost 40 years ago upon receiving his BS in Marketing
Education and later a MBA from Long Island University a professional certificate in School Administration
was earning at the College of Staten Island. Prior to coming to HS MSE Mr. Roseman taught marketing
education, was a dean of students, co-op coordinator, testing & transportation coordinator in other New
York City public schools. He also was an Assistant Principal at Tottenville High School and the Young
Adult Borough Center located in Staten Island. He was an adjunct Professor of Business at Middlesex
College and Queensboro Community College and also is listed in "Who's Who in Teaching".
Dr. Ruthie Stern is the Lead Teacher at HS MSE and the chair person of the English Department. She is
eighteen-year veteran of the New York City school system. She has masters and doctoral degrees from
Teachers College, Columbia University. Along with other teachers in the department, Ruthie developed HS
MSE literature and English curriculum. Ruthie is also an adjunct professor in the English Education
Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. Ruthie received the college’s “Outstanding Teacher
Award” for six consecutive years.
Typical 9th Grade Program
Period
Class
Time
8:00 am – 9:25 am “A” Day
2
Physical Education / Science
Laboratory
Design & Drafting for Production
3
Algebra I
9:30 am – 10:55 am “A” Day
4
Algebra II
9:30 am – 10:55 am “B” Day
5
LUNCH
11:00 am – 11:45 am ALL DAYS
6
Elective
11:50 am – 12:35 pm ALL DAYS
7
Literature & Composition I
12:40 pm – 2:05 pm “A” Day
8
World Civilizations I
12:40 pm – 2:05 pm “B” Day
9
Biology I
2:10 pm – 3:35 pm “A” Day
10
German I or Spanish 3
2:10 pm – 3:35 pm “B” Day
1
8:00 am – 9:25 am “B” Day
Schedule Highlights
Alternating A/B Day Schedule
Four 90 Minute Classes Daily
Lunch
Elective Course
Typical Course sequence
9th Grade
10th grade
Algebra (Regents in January)
Geometry (Regents in June)
Biology
Biology Laboratory
Drafting and Design for Production
Intro. to Grammar , Lit. and Composition
Global History
German 1& 2 or Spanish 3 & 4
Physical Education
Trigonometry
Chemistry
Chemistry Laboratory
Civil Architecture
American Lit/European Lit(Regents in June)
Global History
German or Spanish
Health / Music
Physical Education
11th Grade
12th Grade
Engineering Track
Pre-calculus / Calculus
Physics
Physics Laboratory
Principles of Engineering
Digital electronics
Advanced Placement English Lit.
American History
German or Spanish
Physical Education
Engineering Track
Advanced Placement Calculus or Statistics
Adv. Bio. / Adv. Chem. / Adv. Physics
Networking / Engin. Design / Adv. Arch
Politics in Amer. Novel/Academic Writing
Part. In Gov. / Economics
Physical Education
Advanced Placement German
Course Offerings
Mathematics
Engineering/Technology
Algebra
Geometry
Trigonometry
Discrete Math
Pre-calculus**
Calculus 1**
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
Varsity Math Team*
Design and Drafting for Production
Civil Engineering and Architecture
Principals of Engineering
Digital Electronics
Advanced Civil Architecture
Project Engineering and Design
Networking
Engineering 101*
MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist)*
Science
English
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Advanced Biology
Advanced Chemistry
Advanced Physics**
Scientific Research (Mount Sinai)
Astronomy**
Cancer and Society*
Introduction to Research*
Advanced Research*
Grammar, Literature and Composition
Introduction to American Literature
Romanticism to Modernism
The American Short Story
AP English Lit.
The American Novel
Research and Thesis Writing
Newspaper*
Science Fiction*
Gastronomy*
History
Foreign Language
World Civilization 101
World Civilization 102
American History
Participation in Government**
Economics**
Philosophy*
1960s*
German 1 – 6
Spanish 3 – 6
Advanced Placement German (7 & 8)
Advanced Spanish** (7 & 8)
Intro. Italian*
Art/Music
Physical Education
Music Theory
Introduction to Art*
Advanced Art*
Art History*
Band
Chorus*
Classical Guitar*
Physical Education 1 - 8
Health
Fitness and Nutrition*
*
**
Electives
College Credit Course through the City College of New York
Teams and Clubs
Public School Athletic League Teams
Girls Varsity Basketball
Girls Varsity Soccer
Boys Varsity Soccer
Boys Varsity Basketball
Boys Varsity Volleyball
Extracurricular Activities
Bowling Club
Cheerleading
Cross Country Running
Deutschklub (German Club)
Eat NYC
Fed Challenge
Film Club
FIRST Tech Challenge
Gay-Straight Alliance
Glee Club
Harlem IS
International League of Youth (ILY)
Junior State of American (JSA)
Key Club
Model United Nations
National Society of Black Engineers
Tennis
Yearbook
Reading List 2009 -2010
9th Grade
Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway
Julius Caesar, By William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, By William Shakespeare
Lysistrata, by Aristophanes
Meditations, M. Aurelius (Global Studies)
Innumerancy, John Paulos (Math)
Double Helix, by James Watson (Biology)
10th Grade
In Our Time, Ernest Hemingway
The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston
The Doll House, Henrik Ibsen
Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque (Global Studies)
Ordinary Men, Christopher Browning (Global Studies)
Freakonomics, Levitt & Dubner (Math)
Uncle Tungsten, Oliver Sachs (Chemistry)
11th Grade
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
Othello, William Shakespeare
Richard the Third, William Shakespeare
No Exit, Jean Paul Sartre
The Stranger, Albert Camus
Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis (Social Studies)
Flatland, Edwin Abbott (Math)
Hyperspace, Michio Kaku (Physcis)
12th Grade
Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Native Son, Richard Wright
Anthem, Ayn Rand
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
The Prince, Machiavelli (Social Studies)
Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich (Math)
Letters to a Young Mathematician, Ian Stewart (Math)
Fermat’s Enigma, Simon Singh (Math)
Mission Statement
Through the use of innovative, high quality, standards-driven,
inquiry-based instruction, we will prepare our students for
continued success in higher academia by infusing social,
technological and analytical skills to facilitate the development of
the next generation of leaders in society.
Vision Statement
The High School for Math Science and Engineering at the City
College of New York is a unique and unparalleled, collaborative,
educational experience in which talented students are challenged to
expand their intellect and to develop the habits of inquiry,
expression, critical thinking, problem seeking as well as problem
solving, research and presentation. The academically rigorous
learning environment will focus on math, science and engineering
while emphasizing civic responsibility and the value of knowledge
for its own intrinsic reward.
All members of our learning community: staff, students, parents and
affiliated partners, will develop the ability to access and analyze
information, to view the world through multiple perspectives, to
make connections and see patterns across disciplines, and to
imagine the unimaginable. Our graduates are expected to be
knowledgeable, thoughtful, persuasive citizens who are prepared to
take full advantage of the plethora of opportunities available in the
nation's most prestigious universities, the workplace, and far
beyond.
Visit the school at our website
http://www.HSMSE.org
Parent Coordinator
Ruth Taina Serrano
RSanchez@hsmse.org