Insight Faculty
Susan Haws | Executive Director
After graduating from Davidson College, Susan (she/her) started her career as a Teach for America Corps Member and middle school teacher in Donna, Texas in 1993. She went on to teach English and ESL in New Orleans, LA, and Wake County, NC, where she also coached track and cross country. After observing first hand the persistent and complex barriers to well-being that her students faced, Susan found her way to the discipline of public health. Susan earned a Master of Public Health degree and a PhD in Health Behavior and Health Education from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health, where she has taught graduate courses on research methods and program evaluation. Her research has focused on health-promoting schools, teacher professional development, prevention of adolescent health risk behaviors, and youth mentoring. Susan founded Insight in 2018. She became a District C Certified Coach in 2020 and earned certifications in Wayfinding Mentorship and Human-Centered Design for Coaches with One Stone/ Idea 51 in 2021-22.
Contact: susan (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Kevin Georgas | Director of Curriculum & Instruction; Humanities Instructor
Kevin (he/him) grew up in Texas, attending Baylor University, where he received a B.A. in Great Texts. After graduating, he spent two years teaching at Live Oak Classical School in Waco, Texas. He discovered there that education would always be part of his vocation, but he also found himself wanting to explore further the intersections between study and praxis. He moved to North Carolina to pursue an M.Div from Duke Divinity School, which he's since used to foster communities of care and social action. All the while, he's maintained a steady writing practice, taking fiction workshops with writers like Melissa Pritchard and Garth Greenwell. His interests are eclectic, but mostly lie at the intersection of art, politics, and religion, though he's just as happy to discuss baseball and the many glorious traditions of barbeque. Kevin is married to his wife, Caitlin. They have two kids, Agnes and James, and two cats, Stella and Iggy.
Contact: kevin.georgas (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Humanities Seminar: Making Our Way Home
Patrick O’Meara | Director of Experiential Learning
Patrick (he/him) grew up on a working farm in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, honing his hard work ethic, a love for everything outdoors, and an independent problem solving streak. After graduating from Lafayette College with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in English, he went on to spend 7 years as engineering support in the biotech industry, filling his free time traveling the country for multi-day Eco-Challenge style races. In 2007, Patrick and his wife relocated to Kenya, where he spent 14 years innovating, problem solving, and mentoring on a wide array of problems drawing on his engineering skills. He established a 150-acre sustainable livelihood training center and developed the first FSC Certified Eco-Charcoal in East Africa. Patrick founded a hands-on training program and business, teaching contractor skills and mentoring his team to design and build solutions to health infrastructure problems. His team built, maintained and optimized an innovative new bio-digesting toilet in partnership with Duke University & University of Eldoret. He also designed and built two off-grid mobile diagnostic clinics, providing solar-powered digital chest x-rays to thousands of underserved patients in western Kenya. At Insight, Patrick is keen on finding new and exciting ways to ignite passion in his students as he coaches them to tackle issues in the greater Triangle community. Patrick became a District C Certified Coach in 2021 and earned certifications in Wayfinding Mentorship and Human-Centered Design for Coaches with One Stone/ Idea 51 in 2021-22.
Contact: patrickfomeara (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: C-Squad: Work for the Modern World; Maker Studio
Brittany Del Rosario | Community Manager
Brittany (she/they) is a former educator and full-time anti-racist activist committed to centering and liberating the most marginalized among us. As a proud Latinx individual, she believes in the power of community, education, and advocacy to drive meaningful change.
They hold a B.A. in English Literature with a Minor in Theatre from Chaminade University of Honolulu Hawaii and earned an M.A. in Teaching Secondary English from Duke University. Brittany spent eight years teaching high school English in Durham Public Schools before transitioning to nonprofit work. For the past 3.5 years, she has served as the Children and Families Program Coordinator with we are, a Durham-based nonprofit dedicated to anti-racism training for children, families, and educators. They also, currently, work as an Early Childhood Community Facilitator for EmbraceRace, a national nonprofit that supports caregivers and educators in raising children who are thoughtful, informed, and brave about race.
When they're not advocating for equity and justice, Brittany enjoys reading, playing video games, and practicing yoga. She lives in Durham with her husband and two children.
Contact: brittany (dot) delrosario (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Randy Benson | Film Instructor
Randy (he/ him) tells stories through film. My own story begins when I was born in the former West Germany where my father was an Air Force fighter pilot. As a military brat, I was fortunate as I moved around that I got to meet interesting people of varied backgrounds. Listening to the stories that others have to share, and embracing what we have in common - that's what drives my love of storytelling.
I attended Wake Forest on a track scholarship, traveled abroad, and upon returning to the US found myself unhappy in a corporate job. I've always loved movies and dabbled in filmmaking so I took a leap of faith. I quit the job to pursue filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts' School of Filmmaking. That's where I made my documentary short, Man and Dog. I was honored to win the 1999 Student Academy Award and be recognized internationally at the Cannes International Film Festival, the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam, and numerous other festivals and competitions.
Since then, I've been fortunate to build a life and career as a full-time working filmmaker and educator. I've taught film and video at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies for almost twenty years and now teach at Davidson College. When I’m not making films, I’m watching them. In the rest of my spare time, I cycle, swim, and relax by the fire pit with my wife, two kids, and dogs.
Filmmaking is storytelling. I love what we're creating here at Insight, where every student has their own story to tell.
Contact: randy.benson (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: Intro to Film (Fall); Narrative Filmmaking: The Director’s Journey (Spring)
Lucie Ciccone | Math & Outdoor Instructor
Lucie (she/her) comes to Insight after working as a wildlife and natural resources technician, ecology research assistant, and puppeteer. She graduated from NC State University with a B.S. in Zoology and a minor in Applied Ecology, and has pursued visual arts, mathematics, music, and theater arts. She seeks to understand ecological systems and to find meaning through stories of place, interconnectedness, time, and the environment. She has taught previously as a camp counselor, peer, tutor, and field technician and is motivated and moved by sharing curiosity, beauty, and exploration with others.
Contact: lucie (dot) ciccone (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Native Flora Lab; Insight Outside
Suzanne Coonley | French Instructor
Suzanne (she/her) is a francophile enthusiast. She is a native of Montpelier, Vermont where she spent her school years and began learning French at the age of 8. She has taught French at all levels from children to adults, in both private and public schools in Connecticut and Durham, for the last 39 years. Her college experience includes four years at Wellesley College near Boston, Massachusetts where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in French and English, and four summers at Middlebury College in Vermont where she completed a Master’s degree in French. During this time she also traveled and lived with families in France, Switzerland, Italy and Canada. Later in her public school years, Suzanne earned a teaching degree in Spanish and spent 30 years teaching both French and Spanish as well as traveling and living with families in Costa Rica and Spain. Suzanne enjoys reading historical fiction, cooking, walking and studying languages.
Contact: suzanne (dot) coonley (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: French IV
Billy Dee | Art Instructor
Billy Dee (they/them) is a Durham-based artist and educator whose art practice and teaching methods are deeply informed by their connection to community organizing and movement building work. They studied community-based and political theatre (with a focus on puppetry) at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) and over the years have created illustrations, posters, comic books, zines, and popular education materials in collaboration with numerous community organizations and journalists. They have also worked extensively as a teaching artist and artist mentor with organizations including Student U and the Durham Arts Guild. Billy completed an MFA (Fine Arts) at UNCG during which time they created a series of quilts which explored their own family history in tandem with the role of quilts in abolition movements. Billy currently teaches at Elon University and UNCG as an adjunct professor of art where they teach introductory art and design courses, and specialized courses on comics and textile arts. Billy loves to collaborate and is deeply passionate about the transformative power of art.
Contact: billy (dot) dee (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Stop Motion Animation
Banks Dixon | Outdoor Adventure & Science Instructor
Banks (he/him) has worked as an outdoor guide, instructor, and environmentalist since the late 80’s, directing adventures at Camp Frederick in OH, facilitating team-building workshops through low and high ropes courses and river trips, and serving as Stewardship Coordinator for the Triangle Land Conservancy. He is an Eagle Scout, a trained American Canoe Association (ACA) Kayak Instructor, and a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). His personal travels include thru-hiking the AT, climbing Mt. Rainier, traversing the Baja, trekking the Annapurnas in Nepal, and kayaking the Grand Canyon. Banks owns and operates Frog Hollow Outdoors, where he works with people of all ages to gain a greater respect and understanding of themselves, others, and their environment through outdoor adventure activities.
Check out Frog Hollow’s website: https://www.froghollowoutdoors.com/
Contact: banks (dot) dixon (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Insight Outside, Advanced Outdoor Adventure, Habitats and Ecosystems (Fall); Native Flora (Spring)
Tabitha Fairchild| Humanities Instructor
Tabi Fairchild (she/her) is a sociologist who brings a deep passion for digital culture into the humanities classroom. With advanced degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, she has explored the intricate connections between race, society, and the digital world, focusing on how internet memes reflect and shape cultural narratives. Tabitha has shared her research at various academic conferences and has taught sociology at John Tyler Community College, where she inspires students to think critically about the intersections of culture and society.
Outside of her academic work, Tabitha is a proud mom to a recent high school graduate. In her downtime, you’ll find her immersed in video games, sewing, crocheting, or losing herself in a good book. With a cat, a dog, and a group of nephews and a niece she adores, Tabitha balances her love for digital and creative pursuits with her vibrant family life. Her enthusiasm for exploring the complexities of culture—both online and offline—brings a unique energy to the humanities.
Contact: tabitha (dot) fairchild (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: Shelter, Struggle, and Space
DJ Ferguson | Entrepreneurship Instructor
DJ (he/him) is a Professional Rhetorician masquerading as a Game Master, Consultant, Educator, Writer, Salesman, Loctician, Coach, Entertainer, Grant Coordinator, Rapper, Bookkeeper, Project Manager, Poet, Faceman, Lead Generator, Journalist, Statistician, Client Coordinator, Storyteller, Website Designer, Public Speaker, Community Servant, Athlete, Comic, Marketing Specialist, Editor, Baker, Graphic Designer, Homemaker, Guitarist, Scholar, Lecturer, Researcher, Quality Assurance Specialist, Companion, Musician, Chef, Volunteer, Father, Husband, Student, Teacher, Reader, Listener …
… Manager, Assistant Manager, Assistant *to* the Regional Manager, President, Founder, Director, CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, PITA, \&/ “Influencer.
Contact: dj (dot) ferguson (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: The Entrepreneurial Spirit (Fall)
Steven Gilmore | Math & Music Instructor
Steven (they/them) is a kind and curious educator and math enthusiast. Their teaching philosophy focuses on cultivating the students' problem-solving skills and creativity. They've been a math teacher for over seven years, teaching and tutoring students of all levels from grade school to college. Steven earned their Ph.D. from NCSU in 2021, with research in understanding the underlying theoretical properties of real-world models. Outside of teaching, Steven loves the outdoors and is an avid musician and home cook.
Contact: steven (dot) gilmore (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Foundations of High School Math, NC Math I, AP Statistics, Music Studio
Tyler Pulis | Math Instructor
Tyler (they/them) has 20+ years as a high school math teacher, curriculum writer, teacher trainer, and tutor. This year, Tyler’s going back to the classroom as a graduate student in Physics at NCCU, specifically working on a Nuclear Astrophysics project with a professor from the University of North Carolina. Tyler graduated from Duke with a B.A. in History and an M.A.T. in Teaching Mathematics. Tyler also received an advanced degree (ABD) from North Carolina State University in Mathematics & Statistics Education.
A passionate learner, Tyler is always trying new things. Right now they are enjoying learning to box and exploring their creativity through art. After fostering a plethora of kittens with Independent Animal Rescue, Tyler now has a crew of 6 mostly “unadoptable” cats at home living their best lives.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Contact: tyler (dot) pulis (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Math 2, Math 3
Mana Reshamwala | Japanese Instructor
Mana (she/ her) was born and raised in Kumamoto, Japan, and has lived with her multicultural family in Durham since 2010. In addition to outside texts, she incorporates her own experience learning to communicate in new languages on the ground in Spain, England and the US. She values helping students learn skills to adjust rapidly to new cultures and learn to get by in places that are new to them. She is especially interested in bringing real-world materials and contact with Japanese speakers into the classroom, whether through movies, books, in-person guests or zoom calls linking students to speakers in other countries. When not teaching Japanese, she enjoys traveling, crafting and spending time at the nearby Scrap Exchange.
Contact: mana.reshamwala (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Courses: Japanese I and Japanese I
Jaylan Rhea | Art Instructor
Jaylan Rhea (they/them) is a photographer and textile artist who was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. Their work is a tender meditation on the human experience. Through the delicate grain of film and the soulful reimagining of discarded textiles, Rhea captures the beauty of artists and queer identities intertwined in soft light and profound stillness. With work gracing Vogue.com and the North Carolina Museum of Art, Jaylan’s art exists in the in-between—where sustainability meets style, and every frame tells a story of resilience and connection.
Contact: jaylan (dot) rhea (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: Roots and Routes: Exploring Identity Through the Concept of Home (Fall)
Jen Wichman | Academic Success Coach
Jen (she/her) is passionate about helping students learn how they learn. She loves helping young people develop unique, effective, engaging strategies for approaching their work in school and beyond.
Jen has a Master of Education from Harvard University and brings over 35 years of professional educational experience to Insight. She is also an acclaimed author, editor, artist, and social justice worker. Jen loves to laugh, dance, practice yoga, build furniture, paint, read, roller-skate, collaborate, daydream, and eat cookie dough. There are lots of flowers and a Little Free Library in her front yard.
Contact: jen (dot) wichman (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Eric Zeigler | Elective Instructor
Eric Zeigler (he/ him) has over 27 years of experience teaching, coaching, and leading teen and adult students in various educational programs, disciplines, and classes. His prior roles in education have included English teacher, ESL teacher, college recruiter and teaching assistant, and equity team co-chair. Having been selected by students for the 2013-14 Excellence in Equity Award for Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools is one of his greatest honors. Eric enjoys empowering fellow learners to gain knowledge of world cultures and to map their own educational journey in order to discover and explore themselves. In addition to his work in secondary education, Eric is a pickle ball coach, a chess coach, and a food truck owner. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Contact: eric (dot) zeigler (at) insightcolearning (dot) org
Current Course: Intro to Boxing