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History

The History Department teaches students to be close readers, critical thinkers, and persuasive writers in a four-year curriculum that is centered on core courses in world and American history. Through challenging readings, thoughtful discussions, innovative exercises, and in-depth research and analytical writing projects, students come to an understanding of both their heritage and the world they live in.

As Fifth and Sixth Formers, students explore a wide range of electives that encourage them to appreciate the major themes and trends of history, the importance of the individual experience in understanding these trends, and the historical context of fact and opinion and cause and effect. The History Department teaches students to be respectful of and objective about the past, and to use this knowledge to become productive, responsible, and contributing citizens.

Global History and Society

This introductory course develops greater cultural competency in Third Formers by exploring the building blocks of global societies (geography, culture, religion) and how they inform the history, politics and economic development of a region.Essential questions of the course include: How do fundamental beliefs and geographic location affect human interaction? How have these beliefs changed over time? How and to where do these ideas spread? What are the modern-day implications of the intersection of religion, geography, and politics? Students are introduced to key themes including globalization, democratization, population growth, economic development, and gender. The course focuses on developing critical reading and analytical writing skills, and also introduces students to the various disciplines within the department.
Contemporary World History

This introductory history course for Fourth Formers addresses the main issues of world political, economic, and social history from the end of the 18th century to the present day with a majority of the course focused on 20th century events. Contemporary World History covers such topics as the interaction of Colonial and Indigenous populations in Africa and Asia; the emergence of intellectual, technological, political, and social revolutions, including nationalism, colonialism, and imperialism; and the great upheavals of the 20th century: the rise of totalitarianism, the world wars, the Russian and Chinese revolutions, the Cold War and the post-Cold War world. Work in this course is designed to improve critical reading, analytical writing, and historical research skills, and relies on both primary and secondary sources. Students are able to connect to current events in world politics and complete a major research paper each trimester. The text is William Duiker’s Contemporary World History. This text is supplemented by library and online resources.
Contemporary World History Honors

This survey course for academically accomplished Fourth Formers examines the main themes and issues of world history from the middle of the 18th century to the present day, with the intention of encouraging students to understand the world they live in today as a product of that history. Students taking this course should possess strong critical reading and analytical writing skills, be able to work well with primary and secondary sources, and be prepared to complete larger research projects. Students are expected to be engaged and participate meaningfully in class discussions every day.
Prerequisite: 94 minimum year average in Global History and permission of the department. The department will discuss each candidate on an individual basis, taking into consideration previous academic achievement, work ethic, study skills, and the ability to learn independently.
United States History

This survey course for Fifth Formers covers the core issues of American history from the earliest settler arrivals to the present, with particular emphasis placed on the 20th century. Students develop a sound knowledge of American political history and the evolution of American government, and study diplomatic, economic, and social history as well. In the first half of the year, students study key topics in American history: the “Critical Period” of Revolution and Founding, Andrew Jackson’s presidency and the emergence of mass politics, expansion west, and the crisis of the Civil War. In the second half of the year, students more closely and chronologically study American history in the 20th century, examining America’s emergence from isolation through two world wars and the Cold War and the tremendous changes in American society and politics associated with the growth of “modern” America. Students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion, evaluate primary source materials, make valid generalizations and support them, and relate America’s past to current problems and issues. Throughout the year, students write numerous analytical papers highlighted by a mature, analytical research paper, a major project during the winter term. Readings for the course are pulled from a variety of sources including primary and secondary historical documents and essays, and library and online resources.

Prerequisite: Global History and Society or Contemporary World History
AP® U.S. History

Advanced Placement United States History is an intensive, college-level survey course that explores major political, constitutional, economic, social, and cultural developments from pre-colonial Indigenous societies to the present. Emphasizing the use of primary and secondary sources, the course fosters critical thinking, analytical writing, and active engagement with historical material. Students develop essential skills for success on the AP exam, including independent research, thematic analysis, and historical argumentation. Compared to standard U.S. History courses, this AP section requires greater independence, deeper factual and thematic retention, and more sophisticated historical reasoning. The course moves at an accelerated pace and utilizes The Enduring Vision by Boyer and Clark, along with a range of primary and secondary sources.
Prerequisite: Contemporary World History Honors or a 93 minimum year average in Contemporary World History and permission of the department. The department will discuss each AP candidate on an individual basis, taking into consideration previous academic achievement, work ethic, study skills, and the ability to learn independently.
Moral Philosophy

(Not offered 2025-2026)
Moral Philosophy at Westminster begins by studying informal fallacies and then devotes itself to a survey of both the Western and Eastern philosophical traditions. With this overview complete, the course proceeds to an examination of General Ethics (i.e., theory) and Applied Ethics (i.e., ethical issues).
History of the Forgotten

This course will explore individuals, groups, and events throughout the world that have not typically been at the forefront of traditional history courses. The course begins with an attempt to answer the questions: what is true, what matters, and who decides? The course then transitions to thematic units including a look at the influence of spies on history, the importance of genocides, the role of sports in history, history and the law and finally explores major events of the 21st century. Additionally, each year students have some input into selecting topics of interest. This course will not use a textbook, but will instead rely largely on primary documents and scholarly secondary sources. There will be an emphasis on Harkness discussions, writing, research, and project-based learning. Assessments are frequently interactive and include mock trials, debates, presentations, screencasts and student led classes.

Prerequisite: United States History
AP® Economics

This course offers a rigorous introduction to microeconomic and macroeconomic principles and problems. The course explores the market system, business organizations and decision-making, money and banking, personal investment choices, government fiscal and monetary policy, and international trade. By means of a variety of textbook readings, supplemental materials, newspapers, internet sources, and guest lectures, students are prepared to take the Advanced Placement Macroeconomics and Microeconomics examinations and to better understand and evaluate business and public policy decisions.

Prerequisites: United States History
AP® Comparative Government

Through work in a college-level text and regular consideration of current media, this course exposes students to the current political systems of different countries and examines them using analytical and comparative themes. The course will examine the systems and politics of six “core” countries: the U.K., Russia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, and China. Students will consider each country’s history and political culture, social divisions, formal structures of government, forms of participation, leadership groups, and policy issues and challenges. Topics of discussion will include the relationship of citizens to the state, the purposes and powers of government, opposition and dissident groups, and policymaking in a changing world. Students will also consider broader issues such as globalization, democratization, and political change. This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement Comparative Government examination. The texts are Patrick O’Neil’s Essentials of Comparative Politics and Cases in Comparative Politics.

Prerequisite: United States History
AP® Art History

Art History emphasizes understanding works of art within their historical context by examining issues such as politics, religion, patronage, gender, function, and ethnicity. The AP Art History course also teaches students visual analysis of works of art. Beginning with paleolithic cave paintings and advancing to the present day, the course covers the history of art primarily in the Western tradition but also considers the art of Africa, Asia, Indigenous Americans on two continents, and Islamic art. The course will prepare students for the AP exam, though students wishing to take the exam will have to complete some units on their own given time constraints. Assessments are in the form of analytical and comparative essays modeled on the AP exam.

Prerequisite: United States History
Psychology

This course offers students an introduction to the study of psychology. Students learn about the behavior and mental processes of human beings in order to better understand themselves and the people around them. The course covers basic psychological concepts and principles, as well as the ethics and methods of psychological research. The course text is David Myers’ Psychology.

Prerequisite: United States History
A History of American Capitalism

This class aims to teach students essential microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts by uniting economic theory with economic history. History is like a lab where economic theory can be both learned and tested, and that’s what we will do. Our lab will be the development of the U.S. economy from pre-colonization to the twenty-first century. We will ask and attempt to answer questions such as: what is capitalism, and where did it come from? Is there something distinctive about U.S. capitalism as compared to other countries? How did U.S. capitalism develop and adapt over time? We will focus on energy production and energy transitions as a key theme, using it as a lens to examine economic change over time.

Prerequisite: United States History
Law & Policy in the United States

This course offers a broad overview of the U.S. government, with a focus on the creation of law and policy, and the principles and philosophies that form the foundation of our legal, economic, and political systems. The course will explore the historical underpinnings of the U.S. constitutional system, focus on analyzing current legal and policy questions, and look at how our system is designed to tackle those questions. We will investigate what it means to be a constitutional republic and the role of democracy within that system; we will then dive into a wide range of policy areas, spanning economic, social, and foreign policy. Students will have significant input into specific course topics, and emphasis will be placed on understanding current events, including legal and policy debates that unfold throughout the year. The course will not use a textbook but will instead rely largely on a variety of primary and scholarly secondary sources. Classes will emphasize discussion and debate, and assessments will include projects, debates, and presentations. In the spring, students will try their hand at researching, developing, and advocating for their own policy proposals.

Faculty

Sara Mogck

Head of the History Department

Coumantaros Family and William V.N. Philip History Department Chair
Gordon College - B.A.
Boston College - M.Ed.

smogck@westminster-school.org
Bio
Sara brings experience as a social studies teacher at Lexington High School in Lexington, Mass., and at Farmington High School in Farmington, Conn., to her responsibilities teaching history at Westminster. She also has worked as an SAT reader with Pearson Educational Measurement, as an assistant to the headmistress at Newton Country Day School in Newton, Mass., and as a scheduling assistant in the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Senator Dan Coats. In addition to serving as a longtime volunteer at Squadron Line Elementary School, she has served as co-president of the Simsbury Junior Women’s Club. Her interests include reading, hiking and spending time with her husband, Derek, and her children, Bronwyn, Tatum and Declan.
Timothy Blanton

(860) 408-3005

Basketball
Tennis
University of Florida - M.A.
University of Central Florida - B.A.

tblanton@westminster-school.org
Bio
Before coming to Westminster School, Tim completed a bachelor’s in philosophy and history at the University of Central Florida in 2013 and a master’s in history at the University of Florida (UF) in 2017. He started a doctorate program in 2018 at UF, specializing in U.S. economic history, and is writing a dissertation on the history of American retail investing.

During graduate school, Tim developed a passion for teaching. He refined his pedagogical skills as a teaching assistant for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, a tutor for UF’s athletic association and the instructor of record for U.S. history survey courses and an upper division class of his own design called The Making of Global Capitalism. At Westminster, he teaches AP Economics and Dollars & Sense as well as serves as the faculty advisor for the new Westminster Investment Initiative, a student driven fund investing in real securities.

Tim loves playing basketball, golf, tennis, guitar and video games in his free time. He lives in Kelter House with his wife, Allison.
Nicholas Cary

Co-Director of Student Activities

(860) 408-3755

Tennis
Tufts University - B.A.
Lesley University - M.A.

ncary@westminster-school.org
Bio
Prior to Westminster, Nick served as a history teaching apprentice, advisor, tennis coach and dormitory proctor at Berwick Academy and as a Humanities Department Fellow at Culver Academies, where he was a dorm resident, faculty mentor and varsity tennis coach. He also worked for two years as assistant coach of Men’s Tennis at his alma mater, Tufts University, and was the varsity tennis coach at Belmont Hill School in 2019, where he graduated in 2012.

While at Tufts, where he earned a B.A. in political science, Nick was team captain of Men’s Tennis during his senior year and also served as a part-time admissions tour guide. For a number of years, he worked as a teaching professional for junior and adult tennis programs at Charles River Country Club.

In addition to teaching in the History Department at Westminster, Nick serves as head coach of First Boys’ Tennis and is the dorm head in Memorial Hall. His interests include playing golf, board games, pro-bono dog sitting, and watching sports and movies.
David Chrzanowski

Director of Music, Chapel Organist

(860) 408-3094

Soccer
O'Brien Award 2019
Bucknell University - B.Mus.
Yale University School of Music - M.Mus.

dchrzanowski@westminster-school.org
Bio
With a degree in music and organ performance, David serves as director of music, teaches music theory and music appreciation, and provides the soaring sounds of the organ or the piano during chapel programs or at special school performances. While earning his master’s degree at Yale, he studied with internationally known organists Thomas Murray, Charles Krigbaum and Gere Hancock. He came to Westminster after six years at Choate Rosemary Hall, where he served in a variety of roles. His love of music has been cultivated through positions in several professional musical organizations, including the American Guild of Organists, the Connecticut Music Educators Association and the American Choral Directors Association.
Kelly Curtis

Director of Academic Support, Accommodations Coordinator, Simpson Family Chair For Teaching and Learning Excellence

(860) 408-3059

O’Brien Award 2023
Plymouth State University - B.S.

kcurtis@westminster-school.org
Bio
Kelly developed and oversees the academic support program at Westminster. She is the coordinator for accommodations and is the main contact for families with questions about extended time at Westminster or with standardized testing. As a learning specialist she teaches effective study skills through individualized and group instruction. Lessons involve organization, time management, setting and achieving goals, the importance of a great attitude and self-motivation, flexibility, building grit, task initiation, successful note-taking, test-taking strategies, critical thinking skills, active listening and sustained attention, and working memory. She also teaches Global History and Society.

Kelly earned a bachelor’s in education at Plymouth State University with a concentration in reading and special education. She is also trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach in reading. Orton-Gillingham is a structured literacy program that helps students who struggle with reading, auditory processing and/or other learning differences. She is currently working on a Master of Science in special education at Saint Joseph’s University, with a certification in social, emotional and behavioral wellness.

Kelly is an advisor for Martlets Educating Martlets, a robust peer tutoring group. This student-run program has over 40 peer tutors for almost every class. She is also the advisor to the One Love Club.

Kelly's interests include running, hiking, baking and spending time with her family. She lives at Westminster with her husband, Ryan, and their children, Morgan ’24 and Dylan ’28.
Shawn Desjardins

(860) 408-3088

Hockey
Baseball
Central Connecticut State University - B.S.
Wesleyan University - M.A.L.S.

sdesjardins@westminster-school.org
Bio
Shawn, who teaches Psychology and Human Anatomy & Physiology, and coaches baseball and boys’ hockey, earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education with a concentration in athletic training from Central Connecticut State University. While in college, he was a member of the baseball team and was a recipient of the Student-Athlete Academic Award. Most recently, he completed a graduate degree from Wesleyan University. Before his appointment at Westminster, Shawn worked as a clinical/high school athletic trainer in the greater-Hartford area. He resides in Flinn House.
Todd Eckerson

Lead Teacher Civic Engagement

(860) 408-3048

Gow Senior Master Chair
Swan Award 1993
Swayze Award 2010
O’Brien Award 2013
Williams College - B.A.
Wesleyan University - M.A.L.S.
Wesleyan University - C.A.S.

tleck@westminster-school.org
Bio
A graduate of Manhasset High School on Long Island, Todd attended Williams College, where he played varsity football and varsity lacrosse. He is a member of the Manhasset Lacrosse Hall of Fame. In 1996, he received a Klingenstein Fellowship. After serving as Westminster’s dean of faculty for more than a decade, Todd stepped away from that position in 2003 to become director of the Crossroads Cooperative Learning Program (CCLP), a nonprofit organization that assisted students from Hartford and to which Westminster loaned Todd’s services. In 2011, CCLP became an official Westminster program — the Westminster Crossroads Learning Program in Hartford (WCLP). In 2018, WCLP was folded into Westminster’s Hartford Partnerships.

Todd and his wife, Mary, reside in Simsbury. They have five children, Christopher ’09, Kyle, Anastasia ’11, Katherine ’17 and Zachary ’21.
Charles Griffith

Associate Dean of Faculty, Director of Westminster Teaching Initiative

(860) 408-3744

Soccer
Hockey
O’Brien Award 2001
Swayze Award 2022
Middlebury College - B.A.
Middlebury College, Bread Loaf School of English - M.A.
Yale University - M.A.

cgriffith@westminster-school.org
Bio
Following graduation from Middlebury College, where he was an All-College Scholar, Charlie began a career in corporate and investment banking in New York. After five years, his love of history and teaching took him to Yale, where he earned a master’s degree with high honors in history. Charlie then moved to the South Kent School, where he taught history; coached soccer, hockey and lacrosse; served as a housemaster; and was director of athletics.

In 1994, he came to Westminster, a school with which his family's history dates back to 1953. He was appointed head of the History Department in 1997. After nine years in that position, he served as a dean of students for four years. He returned full time to the History Department in 2010 and once again served as head of the department between 2020 and 2023. In 2016, Charlie assumed leadership of the Westminster Teaching Initiative, spearheading the school's efforts to keep the faculty informed about current issues and developments in teaching and learning. In 2023, he was named associate dean of faculty, supporting the dean of faculty and working with faculty colleagues on professional development, current pedagogy, and best classroom practices. Known for his keen sense of humor, Charlie is popular with students for making history come alive in the classroom. He also serves as a coach for Varsity Boys’ Soccer and Junior Varsity Boys’ Hockey. As a part of Westminster’s 125th anniversary celebration, he researched and wrote a 25-year history of the school titled “The True Life.”

Charlie was captain of his high school soccer and golf teams. He continues his avid interest in sports and the outdoors, and can often be found in search of a golf game or a fellow fly fisherman. The father of three children, Kathryn ’11, Tommy ’14 and Jack ’17, Charlie and his wife, Jeannie, who works in Cole Library, are both honorary members of the Class of 2014 and live in a faculty home on campus with their dog, Macduff.
Betsy Heckman

Academic Dean

(860) 408-3746

Model United Nations
O’Brien Award 2009
Middlebury College - B.A.
Yale University - M.A.

bheckman@westminster-school.org
Bio
Betsy came to Westminster in 2004 from the Berkshire School in Massachusetts. At Berkshire, she taught Advanced Placement U.S. History and European History and served as the head coach of varsity girls’ squash and varsity girls’ tennis. At Westminster, Betsy serves as the academic dean, teaches AP® Comparative Government, and advises Model United Nations. She served as head of the history department for 14 years. Betsy is also a long-time reader for the AP® Comparative Government exam and co-chair of the AP® Comparative Government and Politics Development Committee, which is responsible for developing the AP® Comparative Government and Politics course and examination.

Betsy’s own life has been one of great experiences as she studied abroad in Australia and at Oxford University, completed the Middlebury Year Abroad in France and did a graduate internship in Scotland at the U.S. Consulate. She is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to travel and enjoys hiking, running and tennis. She lives in a faculty home on campus with her son, Will, and their two dogs, Bernie and Charlie.
Cara Hugabonne

Director of International Student Programming

(860) 408-3011

Connecticut College - B.A.
Harvard University - M.A.

chugabonne@westminster-school.org
Bio
Whether in her history or her language classroom, Cara cultivates global perspectives and cross-cultural competencies in her students. A dedicated believer in the transformative power of international education, Cara also works closely with Westminster's international students and families and is the campus representative for partner programs such as School Year Abroad and ASSIST.

As an undergraduate at Connecticut College, Cara earned a Department of Defense scholarship to study for a year in Beijing, and in the formerly Manchurian city of Harbin. These two distinctive cities fueled Cara’s interest in Eurasian history. Upon her return to the U.S., Cara graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in Chinese studies and received the Helen Carey Coudert prize for excellence in Chinese.

At Harvard University, Cara earned a master’s degree in East Asian studies, and completed advanced degree coursework with some of the world’s foremost scholars of premodern East Asian history. Her time at Harvard was challenging, intellectually stimulating and fun; Cara strives to bring that same energy to her classroom each day. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in world history and East Asian history, and currently enjoys guiding Third Formers development as writers, thinkers, and scholars in Westminster’s Global History and Societies course.

Cara lives in Edge House with her husband Jeff and their children Mira ’25 and Luke ’27. She enjoys singing with the faculty choir, kayaking on the river, recreational reading and planning weekly corridor “feeds.”
Colleen Joncas

(860) 408-3747

C. Hiram Upson Family Chair
Bowdoin College - B.A.
Wesleyan University - M.A.L.S.

cjoncas@westminster-school.org
Bio
Colleen graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in history and sociology. While at Bowdoin, Colleen was captain of the field hockey and the lacrosse teams and earned accolades as an All-American, All-NESCAC and All-New England lacrosse player. At Westminster, she teaches U.S. History and has also taught 20th Century World History, as well as online history courses through Westminster’s WISE summer program. She enjoys working with students in the classroom setting and beyond having served for many years at the school as a corridor supervisor, an academic advisor, and a faculty advisor for various extracurricular groups on campus and is currently advisor for The Spectator, Westminster’s yearbook. She has brought a wealth of playing experience to coaching positions in field hockey and lacrosse and also served as the assistant director of athletics.

Outside of Westminster, Colleen serves as Simsbury Youth Lacrosse vice president and board member, is a Simsbury town representative for Connecticut Valley Youth Lacrosse, and has been a director and coach for Simsbury’s girls’ U8, U10 and U12 lacrosse programs. She has also taught history for the nonprofit Second Chance Educational Alliance Inc. and enjoys spending her free time with family in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts.

Colleen and her husband, Director of Athletics Tim Joncas, and their three daughters, Finley, Riley and McKenna, live in a faculty home on campus with their Labradors, Sammy and Murphy.
Jessica Keough

Associate Head of School

(860) 408-3748

Walter Edge Jr. '35 Master Chair
Swayze Award
Trinity College - B.A.
Wesleyan University - M.A.L.S.

jkkeough@westminster-school.org
Bio
Jessica returned to Westminster in the fall of 2012 following one year at the Pomfret School, where she was a history teacher, advisor and dormitory parent, and coached field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse. Previously, she served at Westminster from 2008-2011 as associate director of admissions and the dormitory head in Cushing Hall.

Prior to that, she was a teacher of world history and contemporary American politics at Hebron Academy for two years. While there, she created an independent study course for AP government and a school newspaper, for which she served as faculty advisor. She also coached field hockey, hockey and lacrosse, and was a dormitory supervisor.

Jessica is a graduate of Tabor Academy, where she captained the field hockey, hockey and lacrosse teams. At Trinity College, she completed a legislative internship program at the Connecticut state capitol and was named a Long Walk Society Scholar. She also captained the field hockey and ice hockey teams.

At Westminster, Jessica has coached field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse. She was the Varsity Girls’ Ice Hockey coach from 2018-2022. Jessica was also the form dean for the Class of 2017 and the dean of faculty from 2020-2023. Currently, she serves as the associate head of school. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with her husband, Jay, and playing ball with their dog, Dottie. They travel often to their favorite vacation town, Newport, and to stay at their vacation home in Scituate, Mass. Jessica and Jay, who serves as associate director of admissions, live in a faculty home, with their two sons, Francis and Patrick.
Andrew Marco

Technical Director of Werner Centennial Center

(860) 408-3904

Connecticut College - B.A.

amarco@westminster-school.org
Bio
A graduate of the Class of 2011, Andrew’s passion for theater blossomed at Westminster and a good percentage of his four years on the Hill were spent working both as a technician, actor, and once as a puppeteer, on the school’s Dramat productions. He was a two-time recipient of the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award for Theater, a Williams Hill Player, and served as Dramat President during his senior year.

Following his graduation from Westminster, Andrew attended Connecticut College, where he earned a B.A. in theater and music, and studied Shakespeare abroad at the British-American Drama Academy. Early in his career, Andrew worked in amateur theatrical licensing and customer service at both Concord Theatricals and Dramatists Play Service, working with schools and community organizations nationwide to support their theatrical seasons. He also worked as a freelance music copyist (essentially a graphic designer for sheet music) on several professional theatrical productions.

As an educator, Andrew has previously taught at the Fessenden School, Ghostlight Theater Camp and Hyde School. Andrew returned to Westminster in 2021, working in the advancement office for two years before returning to the classroom.

Andrew and his wife, Collins, live in Edge House with their Maine Coon cat, Lazenby. In his free time, Andrew enjoys cycling, spending time in Maine, and writing music and plays.
Brian O'Callaghan

Fourth Form Dean

(860) 408-3725

Squash
Bowdoin College
Columbia University

Bocallaghan@westminster-school.org
Bio
Brian O'Callaghan is a history teacher, squash coach and form dean for the Class of 2027. He comes to Westminster with more than 25 years of experience in independent school teaching and administration at middle and high schools in both boarding and day environments. Prior to joining the Westminster faculty, Brian was the interim middle school assistant principal and dean of fifth and sixth grades at Rye Country Day School in Rye, N.Y. While there, he mentored new faculty, assisted the principal in providing support in many areas, led two grade-level teams of faculty, taught history, revamped curriculum and served as the new student transition program coordinator and held other roles, including coaching Varsity boys' lacrosse and squash. Brian earned his B.A. at Bowdoin College and holds an M.A. in private school leadership from The Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.

Brian lives in Gund with his wife, Alison, son, Aidan '26, and daughter, Lily '28. He enjoys reading, fly-fishing and running in his free time. Brian loves teaching and coaching because he enjoys helping students develop essential life skills.
Matthew Thomsen

Fifth Form Dean

(860) 408-3025

Basketball
Track and Field
University of Hartford - B.A.

mthomsen@westminster-school.org
Bio
After graduating from Suffield Academy, Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Hartford, where he graduated summa cum laude and earned distinction for his work within the sociology department. As a native of West Hartford, Conn., he worked as a community organizer throughout college, mentoring students at St. Timothy Middle School and in the greater Hartford area.

Before Westminster, Matt served three years at Hamden Hall Country Day School as a humanities teacher and coach. He has a passion for curriculum development and created a signature course, Human Rights and Equity, before redesigning the U.S. History Honors curriculum. While at Hamden Hall, he was awarded a grant for graduate work in education at Fordham University and Harvard Business School.

At Westminster, Matt teaches humanities in the history department. He also coaches and is a dorm parent in Squibb Hall. His interests include rooting for Notre Dame football, watching movies, reading, and spending time with his family throughout the year.

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In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national and ethnic origin, ancestry and/or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Westminster admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

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History

Global History and Society

Contemporary World History

Contemporary World History Honors

United States History

AP® U.S. History

Moral Philosophy

History of the Forgotten

AP® Economics

AP® Comparative Government

AP® Art History

Psychology

A History of American Capitalism

Law & Policy in the United States

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