Instructors for AP Training

Our institute leaders are recognized members of the AP teaching community who are dedicated to improving student achievement through effective support of AP professionals.

Calculus AB
Carol Miller earned a BS degree in education from West Virginia University and an MA in mathematics from Indiana University. Mrs. Miller began teaching at Glenbrook North High School in 1970. Before retiring from Glenbrook North, she taught Calculus AB, Calculus BC, as well as linear algebra and multi-variable calculus. Mrs. Miller was an AP Calculus reader for five years and a table leader for the past 12 years. She was a member of the AP Calculus Test Development Committee, and has presented one and two day workshops in most Midwestern states and one-week workshops in Chicago and West Virginia.

Economics
James Chasey received his BA from Purdue University, his MA from the University of Illinois, and studied in the Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago as the Christa McAuliffe Fellow for Illinois. He has taught economics in high school from 1969-2002, and economics part-time in college since 1985. He has enjoyed the privilege of being a grader, and a table leader in AP Economics. Among his favorite professional activities are presenting at numerous one-day workshops and week-long summer institutes for AP Economics. He is married and has two children, one of whom is teaching AP Psychology. Mr. Chasey has written numerous works specifically for use in the teaching of AP Economics. His main interest in presenting week-long summer workshops is to specifically structure the workshop to meet the needs of the participants.

English Language and Composition, Session I (new teachers)
Bernie Phelan has taught for 40 years, the last 30 of them primarily as an AP English Language and Composition teacher. He has been involved in the grading of the exam since 1987. He currently serves as a consultant for Elgin District U-46, working with both program development and teacher training. His work with College Board includes work on the SAT Writing Committee and the Range-Finder Committee, the group that chooses samples for the grading of this national exam. From 2000-2004 Bernie served as an elected member of the Board of Trustees for the College Board. Since 1997 he has conducted summer institutes, now having done over 40 institutes in 6 different states.

English Language and Composition, Session II (experienced teachers)
David Klingenberger has been teaching AP English classes for 18 years at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois. In addition to serving as a reader and table leader for the English Language exam for the last ten years, he is also a College Board consultant.

English Literature and Composition, Session I (new teachers) and Session II (experienced teachers)
Cathy D'Agostino is a leader teacher at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where she started both the AP English Language and Composition program and the co-taught interdisciplinary AP English Literature and AP European History class. She has served as a consultant for the College Board since 1988, conducting both AP English Language and Literature workshops. She has served as a Reader and a Table Leader for the AP English Literature Examination, as well as serving as Reader, Table Leader, and Assistant Chief Reader for the SAT-II Writing Exam. Her work with AP and The College Board has led her to consult with school districts in twenty-six states on developing AP English courses, improving composition instruction in all English classes, building vertical teams within English Departments, developing reading strategies in English classes, designing district-wide holistic assessments, and beginning Writing Across the Disciplines Programs in high schools. In 2004, she co-authored and designed a manual and workshop on Holistic Scoring for the College Board. In addition, she has been a regular presenter at state and national conferences since 1990.

European History
Patricia Peterson has thirty-six years of experience teaching history and social studies, including Advanced Placement European History at Evanston Township High School in Illinois. She has taught summer institutes in several states and is a consultant for The College Board, providing AP European History training for Midwest Regional Conferences. She is one of the authors of "Pre-AP Interdisciplinary Strategies with English and Social Studies" and "The AP Vertical Teams Guide for Social Studies". Patricia has many years of experience reading European History AP Exams and led several student trips to the former Soviet Union and Russia in the 1980s and 1990s.

Government and Politics: US
Vanessa Lal Steinkamp has taught AP Government as well as Political Thought and World History at Stevenson High School in Chicago for eight years. She has acted as a Reader in AP Government and Politics since 2001 and as an AP College Board consultant since 2002. In her capacity as AP consultant, she has presented seminars at Butler, Ball State, St. Louis, Eastern Michigan and the University of Wisconsin. Ms. Lal received an MA in American Government from the University of Virginia, an MSEd from Northwestern, and a BA from Tulane. She also received a Madison Fellowship for the state of Illinois in 2002.

Human Geography
Donald Peterson teaches Human Geography at the University of Northern Iowa and Regional Geography at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He served as an AP Reader from 2002 to 2005, a Table Leader from 2006 to 2007, and as a question rubric developer in 2007. He has received several awards, including Outstanding National Social Studies Teacher from the National Council for Social Studies in 1995 and the Distinguished Achievement Award from National Council for Geographic Education in 1997.

Psychology
Tina Athanasopoulos currently teaches Advanced-Placement Psychology at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Tina received a BS in Psychology and Social Science Secondary Education from Loyola University of Chicago, a MA in School Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University, and a CAS in Education Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tina is currently on the Test Development Committee for AP Psychology, has been a table leader for the Advanced Placement Psychology Exam for the past six years and a reader for the exam for three years prior. Since 2001, she has been a consultant for the College Board. She has taught AP Psychology at the Center for Talented Development at Northwestern University for the past three summers. Tina has presented at numerous conferences including the AP National Conference regarding topics in psychology and has hosted a Chicagoland conference for Psychology teachers.

Spanish
After receiving his MA in Spanish from Middlebury College, Daniel Bender began teaching the AP Spanish Language and Literature program at Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL. For the past ten years he has continued to teach the AP Spanish program at New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL. Since 1983 has served as a College Board Consultant for AP Spanish, as well as a Reader, Table Leader and Assistant Chief Reader for the AP Exam grading.

U.S. History - Session I (new teachers) and Session II (experienced teachers)
Lynda Hakanen is a teacher at Evanston Township High School. She has taught US History AP for 15 years. She is a Staff Developer for the History Department. She has been an AP reader for 5 years. She is a College Board consultant. This is her second year teaching the AP History workshop at NU. Linda has a BS from Drake University and a M.Ed. from Loyola University in Chicago.

World History
Ryba Epstein currently teaches AP World History, AP English Literature, and freshman social studies at Rich East High School in Park Forest, Illinois. She is a workshop consultant and table leader for AP World History and, most recently, has been working with the AP Course and Exam Review project. She has also read for AP European History. She is a lesson plan contributor to George Mason University's web site "Women in World History," and is current working on GMU's new project, "Children and Youth in World History." In addition, she has reviewed materials for AP Central, created a syllabus for the AP World History Teachers Guide, and has served on the board for World History Connected, an e-journal for teaching and learning about world history. Her M.A. and Ph.D. are from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign; she received her A.B. from U.C.L.A. Her dissertation was on African oral epic poetry.