Faculty & Staff Directory

Dawn Brown has bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and an Education Specialist degree in K-12 Education Leadership and Administration. She attended the University of Nebraska, University of Missouri, and Northwest Missouri State University. She leads the broadcast journalism club for lower school, coaches Girls on the Run, and provides tutoring for students. She enjoys teaching at CIS because of the close relationships with students, colleagues, and the CIS community as a whole.

Mr. Dittmer has a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in philosophy, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, all from Mizzou. He wanted to be a teacher when he was a kid, and taught college for over 15 years, first at Mizzou and Westminster College during grad school and then as an assistant professor at Missouri University of Science & Technology. He started at CIS in 2020 and teaches middle school science, high school math, and some electives in the humanities. He is also the head coach for the Science Olympiad team.

Maggie Dittmer holds a B.F.A. in theater from Stephens College, and an M.A. from Mizzou. She enjoys teaching at CIS because she is able to develop long-lasting relationships with colleagues and students. The smaller class sizes make it easier to move through content or pause content in order to follow a student’s interest in a topic. She also loves the freedom she has to create different learning opportunities for students. One extracurricular activity she enjoys is directing the fall musical and the spring play. Additionally, she helps run the Literary Magazine with Mrs. Floyd and Ms. Stott, and occasionally helps (behind the scenes) with the Science Olympiad.

Christopher Dodig has a bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages from the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri. He coaches the Middle School Quiz Bowl and is the dungeon master for the Upper School Dungeons & Dragons Club. He enjoys clearing the way for students to pursue their goals in their own idiom and handing them the tools to build what they will.

Jessica Dudenhoeffer holds a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Columbia College and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri. She has six years of teaching experience at CIS. She also values the unique opportunity CIS provides for fostering close relationships with students and their families. Maintaining these connections is crucial to a healthy learning experience, especially during tutoring sessions with young readers. The enjoyable learning experiences and consistent progress is a feat of her approach. Jessica takes pride in witnessing the progression of previous first graders into accomplished readers and leaders. A particular joy is seeing her former students assume the role of Big Buddies for her current first graders, engaging in collaborative projects that stimulate growth and development.

Donnie Howell has an associate’s degree in theatre, a bachelor of arts in psychology and master’s degree in biomedical science. He earned his degrees from Central Methodist University, Columbia College, and Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mr. Howell is the CIS Aquarium Club sponsor. He enjoys teaching at CIS because he gets freedom to make his own curriculum and autonomy to teach in his own style.

Walter Luther has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in geosciences. He attended Missouri State University and Mississippi State University. He coaches the Middle School volleyball team. He enjoys teaching at CIS because of the ability to collaborate with other teachers. Mr. Luther said “CIS is special because of the community. All levels of students are learning and growing together at one campus. Everyone has the opportunity to be involved and have a voice.”

Coach Martin is the athletic director and head boys basketball coach. He came to CIS prior to the 2021-22 basketball season and was hired as the athletic director the following year to further the growth of CIS athletics. He attended Northwest Missouri State University and earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary education with a social science Major and a coaching education minor.

Dr. Nair has a bachelor’s in electronics and biomedical engineering from India, a PhD in Neuroscience from Mizzou and a postdoctoral fellowship in Sleep Medicine from Mizzou. Having worked in the field of medical research for over 10 years, she was ready for a break and an opportunity to teach upper school science at CIS, where her daughter had been studying since kindergarten, came around at just the right time. Dr. Nair loves the small class sizes and the opportunity it provides to give specific and detailed feedback to every student.

Daniel Radkowiec has been teaching and coaching at CIS since 2022. He coaches the cross country and track teams. He has a bachelor of education in physical education and a master’s degree in athletic administration. He likes CIS because of the positive attitude of the students and the dedication of the teachers and administrators.

Sarah Stott joined CIS in 2023. She has a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. As an extracurricular she teaches Yearbook club. Her favorite memory at CIS was seeing her first all school assembly. She feels CIS is special because we have a culture here that feels like a family.

Valérie Thaalbi is a native French speaker who started teaching in 2011 and joined CIS in 2022. She has a multidisciplinary background, starting her career in marketing. She has a masters degree in education from the University of Toulouse, a bachelor’s degree in quality management from the University of Toulouse, and an associate’s degree in marketing from EPHEC (Brussels, Belgium). She has a passion for languages: fluent in English, she can also speak Dutch, Spanish, Italian and German. She came to CIS because she always wanted to teach abroad and experience living in the USA. Her favorite memory at CIS is at the upper school retreat where she got to experience her very first bonfire and s’mores!