New Faculty and Staff Welcomed to Campus

A number of new faculty members and staff joined various Westminster departments this fall, bringing a wide range of accomplishments and diverse backgrounds to the school’s community.  The new faculty members include:

Shawn R. Desjardins
Head Athletic Trainer
B.S., Central Connecticut State University, 1996

After attending Wolcott High School in Wolcott, Conn., Shawn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education with a concentration in athletic training at Central Connecticut State University. While in college, he was a member of the baseball team and won the Student-Athlete Academic Award for Athletic Training. Before his appointment at Westminster, Shawn worked as a clinical high school athletic trainer for PTSMA/HealthSouth for 10 years. During that time, his high school responsibilities included East Hartford High School and Simsbury High School. He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Shawn's hobbies include participating in triathlons, road and trail running, adventure racing and general outdoor activities as well as watching movies and listening to music. He ran the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage in 2006, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a member of Team in Training.


Kendra S. Lawrence
Medical Director
B.A., Yale University, 1990
M.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 1998

After attending Phillips Exeter Academy, Kendra attended Yale University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction in the history of art.  She then earned a Doctor of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine with a concentration in primary care and family medicine. While there, she received the Humanistic Values in Medicine Award for her advocacy of social justice and equity for women and minorities. In 2001, Kendra completed a primary care internal medicine residency at the University of Connecticut in Farmington. As a resident, she received the James E. C. Walker, M.D. Award for excellence in patient care and teaching and the Howard Levine Science Award. Before her appointment at Westminster, she provided medical care in a private-practice setting in West Hartford, Conn.

Kendra lives in Avon with her husband, Davis, and their two children, Emma and Sydney. Kendra’s interests include tennis, soccer, hiking, art, travel, and cultivating peaches.  


Douglas Lind
Director of Theater
B.A., UCLA, 1976

Doug joined Westminster following a longtime career in teaching and theater.  After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts, he worked in set and lighting design and construction at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. For three years, he taught grades four through six at the Menlo Elementary School in Los Angeles, and for seven years, he served as the performing arts chair at Oldfields School in Glencoe, Md.  He also taught current events at Purnell School in Pottersville, N.J., and early intervention reading at Nantucket Elementary School in Mass. Most recently, he served eight years as the technical director and designer for the Actor’s Theatre of Nantucket and the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket.  

In 1986, Doug co-wrote and directed the musical  “Red White & Rosie” about Rosie the Riveter, which was published by Samuel French, Inc. He likes to mountain bike and has two children, Rachel and Roger, who are attending college.


Melinda Wright
Director of Multicultural Affairs
Associate Director of Admissions
B.A., Cornell University, 1994
M.A., George Washington University
J.D., George Washington University

Melinda is very familiar with independent schools, having attended Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn., from grades seven through 12. While there, she played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse and captained both the varsity soccer and lacrosse teams. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies at Cornell University, to complete a certificate program in international human rights law at the New College of the University of Oxford and to earn a Master of Arts in history and public policy and a Juris Doctorate at The George Washington University. Before returning to Connecticut, she worked as a teacher and director of alumni support for Teach for America; in policy analysis and recruitment with the District of Columbia Public Schools; and as a legal intern and legal associate with a number of professional organizations in Washington, D.C.

An avid lacrosse player, Melinda competed at Cornell and then went on to play as a postgraduate player for several years. She served three years as head women’s varsity lacrosse coach at Howard University where she recruited and selected top student-athletes to compete in this only Division I women’s lacrosse program at a historically black university. She lives in West Cottage with her husband, Charles, and their three children, Zahra, Eden and Noah. Charles assists with First Boys’ Basketball.


Michele L. Killeen
Director of Research
Squash
B.A., Colorado College, 1997

Although Shelly joined Westminster in the middle of the school year last year, she was officially welcomed to the faculty this year along with other new faculty members. After 13 years in Colorado, Shelly returned to her New England roots in 2006, joining Westminster’s Alumni and Development Office as Director of Research from a similar position at her alma mater, Colorado College. New to the independent boarding school environment, Shelly has quickly learned that one can become very involved on campus.

While in college, Shelly participated in intercollegiate basketball, track and field, and club soccer. She also was a staff writer and copy editor for the student newspaper, and participated in the intramural athletic program as a frequent participant and official. Growing up in Berkshire County, Mass., she was involved in the music, drama, and sports programs at her high school. In her free time, Shelly enjoys tennis, basketball, biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and reading. She coaches Third Girls’ Squash and supervises a corridor in Andrews House.

Amy Merli
Part-time Dance Instructor
Diploma, Hartford Conservatory

Amy Merli joins Westminster as a part-time dance instructor with experience teaching modern, jazz, creative movement, ballet and hip-hop.  She has taught at the Hartford Conservatory, Woodbury Ballet, and Hudson Dance and Movement.  She also currently teaches at the Hartt Community Division, Dance City and The Arts and The Ballet Theatre Company.  Amy has studied with the Limon Professional Studies Program, Paul Taylor Intensive, Robert Battle and Milton Meyers.  She has preformed professionally with Full Force Dance Theater and Pioneer Valley Ballet.  Amy received a diploma from the Hartford Conservatory as a pedagogy/performance major. She also is a certified personal trainer.


Rachel Armstrong
Part-time Dance Instructor
B.S., University of Connecticut, 2007

A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology with a concentration in therapeutic recreation, Rachel brings experience in many dance styles, including jazz, Broadway, hip hop, step and modern, to her position as part-time dance instructor at Westminster.  Most recently, she has served as a choreographer and dance instructor at Terpsichore Dance and Theatre in Simsbury.   

In addition to the new faculty appointments, Westminster welcomed a new assistant athletic trainer and a new director of nursing.


Stephanie Birch
Assistant Athletic Trainer
B.S., Lasell College, 2004

Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Science in athletic training with a minor in math at Lasell College where she competed as an athlete in softball and volleyball.  She is a Board of Certification (BOC) certified athletic trainer and registered emergency medical technician.  

Before her appointment at Westminster, she gained clinical experience as a student athletic trainer for three years in various high schools and colleges in Massachusetts covering football, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, ice hockey, basketball, softball, and baseball.  More recently, she worked as an emergency medical technician with American Medical Response in West Hartford. She also spends her summers as an athletic trainer for Universal Cheerleaders Association at camps throughout New England.  She enjoys reading and is a big sports fan, mostly of UConn and the Red Sox.


Christine J. Johnson, R. N.
Director of Nursing
St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing, 1987

Christine joined Westminster in 2006 and was appointed Director of  Nursing this year.  After receiving her nursing diploma, Christine held a variety of nursing positions at St. Mary’s Hospital, Hospital for Special Care, U.S. TeleHealth, New Britain General Hospital, Ebner Camps, Camp Jewell, Ingraham Manor and Pine Grove School.  She is experienced in well-child care, emergency first aid, cardiac monitoring, behavioral management, and has worked in critical care, pediatric homecare, newborn nursery, neonatal ICU, residential camps and a school.  She also is a CPR/AED professional rescuer.   

Christine lives in Burlington with her husband, John, sons Kyle and Andrew, and dog, Bandit. When her children were younger, she held the position of safety chairperson in the PTA, and also assisted in forming a new playscape committee, which then held many additional fundraisers including two live auctions that raised enough money to build two new playscapes for the local elementary school. Christine likes to travel with her family, especially on cruises and visits to tropical islands. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, walking and rescuing any animal in need.