“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
― Albert Einstein
Winnie Wong, Ph.D.
Head of Academy & Director of Content – Mathematics
Dr. Wong holds a B.A. in Mathematics from UC Berkeley and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. In keeping with her commitment to lifelong learning and educational leadership, Dr. Wong is currently pursuing an Ed.M. in International Education Policy and Management at Harvard Graduate School of Education, further developing her expertise in systemic educational improvement.
Following her doctorate, Dr. Wong began her career as a fixed-income quantitative analyst at American Century Investment. While she valued her experience in financial analysis, her enduring passion for education led her to establish and operate an advanced mathematics preparation school in San Diego for seven years.
After returning to the Bay Area in 2007, Dr. Wong transitioned into higher education, serving as a mathematics lecturer at Foothill College, De Anza College, and later as a tenure-track professor at Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU). She has also taught in summer programs at UC Berkeley and Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth. She currently continues her teaching mission through faculty appointments at College of San Mateo, City College of San Francisco, and UC Berkeley Extension.
Beyond teaching, Dr. Wong is deeply involved in curriculum development and educational innovation. She contributed to the Carnegie Foundation’s STATWAY initiative and participated in curriculum and assessment committees at NDNU. Her work now focuses on developing project-based learning and human-centered design curricula for middle and high schools in the U.S., Mainland China, and Hong Kong. She has co-organized international conferences and competitions to promote libraries as a third learning space.
Committed to giving back, she serves as a volunteer scholarship reader and interviewer for UC Berkeley and UCLA, and President of the Evergreen Education Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for students in rural China.
Wilson Chan, M.S.E.
Director of Content – Engineering, Technology, & Computer Science
Mr. Chan is a veteran in the high-tech industry with more than 30+ years of experience in both hardware and software design. He received both his B.S.E. and M.S.E. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His master’s degree focused on VLSI design and artificial intelligence (AI). Upon graduation, Mr. Chan took on a teaching position at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the City University of Hong Kong. During his time at CUHK, he taught a very diverse set of classes, including digital and analog circuit design, microprocessor and computer design, power electronics, electro-mechanical engineering, and automated testing. Besides teaching full-time, he also worked on multiple research projects and published numerous technical papers in international conferences and journals. His research interests included manufacturing yield, neural networks, machine vision, and applied mathematics. After two years of teaching and academic research, Mr. Chan returned to the US for his Ph.D. studies at the University of California, San Diego. His Ph.D. research focused on simulating quantum devices and fault-tolerant computing. Two years into his Ph.D. track, Mr. Chan decided to join a prominent company in the high-tech industry working on ASIC design and design automation. His industrial experience encompasses the entire ASIC design process, from circuit design to manufacturing process, as well as from embedded operating systems to enterprise automation frameworks. Mr. Chan’s technical knowledge spans quantum physics, circuit design, digital design, ASIC design, operating systems, compilers, artificial intelligence, algorithms, numerous programming languages, and software development frameworks. Mr. Chan holds a US patent through his work at his company.
Anne Mayroal, M.S.
Director of Content – Design Thinking & Project-Based Learning
Ms. Anne Mayoral is a designer, engineer, and educator, who uses her technical background, design expertise, and maker mindset to create innovative learning-through-play experiences. Anne became passionate about hands-on, project-based STEAM learning when she experienced first hand the struggle of learning science and math (and building intuition) from textbooks. A strong proponent of experiential learning, she develops curriculum that blends science, art and design as a hook to inspire students to ask questions and seek solutions through open-ended exploration (aka play). Her hope is to demystify STEM through learner-led inquiry-based opportunities, to create an environment where fantastic failures are gateways for breakthroughs, and to cultivate curiosity and empowered making in all. She has worked with K-8 students and educators at notable schools and museums across the Bay Area, including AltSchool, imagination lab school, East Bay Innovation Academy, The Tech Museum of Innovation and the Exploratorium.
Anne holds a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Industrial Design from The Academy of Art University. Before switching to industrial design, Anne was an Engineering Scientist at Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas at Austin. While there, she co-invented an Autonomous Surface Watercraft designed to station-keep and score ballistic missile impacts for the US Navy, work for which a patent was granted. As a practicing designer, she has designed toys, sustainable products, packaging, interactive spaces, and movie props. Her clients include Mattel Hot Wheels, Make: Magazine, Urban Putt, Tenka Labs, Concord Consortium, and NEXMAP. Along with her co-founder, Anne has developed a series of drawing robotic kits which are now produced by their company, ArtBot Toys. When not creating, you can find Anne and her family on their cargo bikes toting some crazy contraption from here to there.
Marianne Delaporte, ph.D.
Director of Content – Language art, debate, critical writing, & ethics
Dr. Marianne Delaporte received her B.A. from the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. She served as chair of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at Notre Dame de Namur University for over ten years and continues to teach there, offering such courses as Philosophy of Love and Social Justice in the World Religions. Her passion for ethics and social justice has led her to working in community engagement courses with college students, supporting union movements in the Bay Area and fighting against gun violence. She lives in Mill Valley with her husband, a philosopher, and has two children, one at USC, and one in second grade, and enjoys swimming and hiking.