Faculty Directory

The chance to work on the leading edge of independent Catholic preparatory education draws powerful teachers to STMA. Serving together with high collaboration and a shared vision, our talented administrators and instructors work tirelessly to form every student for authentic Christian excellence.

Deacon Brad Watkins

Headmaster

Deacon Brad Watkins is the Academy’s headmaster. He also teaches electives in theology, art and design. Deacon Watkins came to the Academy after many years of teaching on both the secondary and collegiate level and several years…

Dr. Wesley Kirkpatrick

Dean of Studies

Wesley Kirkpatrick leads STMA's academic program. He teaches the annual Dean’s Seminar and electives in philosophy, history, and natural science, including a popular three-term sequence of courses in historical geology. He also…

Dr. Jake Noland

Dean of Faculty

Jake Noland was born and raised in Virginia, and as the son of a Methodist minister he lived all around the state. He began studying philosophy during his first semester at UVA and started teaching it as a graduate at Texas A…

Mrs. Ann Cureton

Registrar

Ann Cureton is the Academy’s registrar and administrative assistant to the Headmaster and Deans. She supports families with RenWeb, FACTS tuition payment, and all matters of student records. “I came to St. Thomas More after five…

Stormy Noland

Admissions Director

Stormy Noland was born and raised in Louisiana and attended Texas A&M University, where she met her husband, Dr. Jake Noland. After finishing her undergraduate studies she worked in mental health and foster care/adoption for over…

Ms. Amanda Bambury

Instructor in Humanities

Amanda Bambury was raised at the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado. She first experienced the beauty of Catholic education at the University of Notre Dame, where she studied French and Italian literature. Formed by the Congregation…

Mr. Randall Blessing

Instructor in Science and Mathematics

Mr. Blessing sees mathematics and science as forms of play and exploration. “As I teach physics and mathematics I want students to think about situations and problems with me and to experience learning as a process toward fuller…

Mrs. Luisana Briceño

Instructor in Humanities

Luisana Paiva-Briceño was born and raised in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and came to the United States in 2004. Before coming to STMA she worked as a bilingual teaching consultant at the University of North Carolina and Florida International…

Mrs. Kristy Chandler

Instructor in Humanities

Mrs. Chandler is the Academy student’s first encounter with the Trivium, the heart of classical education. “As a linguist I am thrilled that we devote substantial time to the study of language. Its exploration paves the way for…

Mr. Michael D'Andrea

Instructor in Science and Mathematics

Michael D’Andrea studied engineering at the United States Naval Academy and then continued his studies in Pensacola, training as a pilot. “I saw first hand how the critical thinking and the systematic approach to problem solving…

Mr. Joel Decker

Instructor in Humanities

Following years of rich work with youth in Ohio, Joel Decker came to North Carolina to attend Duke Divinity School with his wife in order to be better equipped for work in Catholic catechesis. “I loved about every minute of my…

Mr. Clint Eaton

Instructor in Science and Mathematics

Clint Eaton was born in New York and raised primarily on the east coast. “Drawn to my extended family and beautiful part of the country,” he says--and keen to study chemistry--he decided to pursue his undergraduate studies at…

Mrs. Julie Eaton

Instructor in Science and Mathematics

Julie Eaton has long expressed a love of teaching in her work. Whether as a “TA” in secondary and college science labs or as a tutor for members of Maine’s Wabanaki Tribe, her greatest joy has been to help students discover their…

Ms. Christina Geradts

Student Life Coordinator and Instructor in Humanities

Christina Geradts’s family moved around often, but somehow she always found her way back to North Carolina. Always grateful to her parents for valuing Catholic education, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in Catholic education…

Ms. Bernadett Horvath

Instructor in Music

Bernadett Horvath was born and raised in Hungary and came to the United States in 2017. Before coming to STMA she worked as a teacher and choir conductor in Budapest, then as a private violin and piano instructor at The Musicians…

Ms. Shari Huggett-Milton

Instructor in Non-Cognitive Skills

An accomplished artist and entrepreneur in dance, Ms. Shari Huggett-Milton founded one of Raleigh's most successful studies, Southern Star. In her studio the "culture and philosophy is simple: treat others as we would like to…

Mrs. Kelly Jackson

Instructor in Science and Mathematics

Kelly Jackson was born and raised in New Jersey, where she attended Catholic schools. “Drawn to a warmer climate,” she says, and keen to study engineering, she decided to pursue her studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology…

Mr. Robert Kirkendall

Instructor in Humanities

Born and raised the son of a Baptist pastor in Northern California, Robert Kirkendall has developed a keen interest in Scripture and literature from a young age. “I recall my sense of awe at the great doctrines of the Incarnation…

Mrs. Kate Kirkpatrick

Instructor in Humanities and Science

Kate Kirkpatrick was born and raised in Chicago. Her roots are urban, but she formed a special interest and expertise in nature and its potentials during her years as an instructor and outdoor education coordinator for a wilderness…

Mr. Charles McCants

Student Life Coordinator and Instructor in Humanities

Charles McCants was born and raised in Raleigh, but went off to Virginia for greater formation in the Classics and Theology. During college he spent a number of weeks at Holy Cross Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in Northern Virginia…

Ms. Emily Nye

Instructor in Humanities

Emily Nye was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. Wanting to find in her learning “a satisfying response to the restless human heart,” she studied at Franciscan University and later at Notre Dame, where she read St. Augustine…

Mr. Dan Rolando

Instructor in Science and Mathematics

Daniel Rolando believes in lifelong learning. “The world is a beautiful, new, and exciting place when you are constantly in search of expanding your mind and your perspective. I hope to impart this mindset to students. If a student…

Reverend Monsignor Jeffrey Ingham

Spiritual Director

Monsignor Jeffrey Ingham was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Borromeo Seminary College in Cleveland, earning his B.A. in Scholastic Philosophy in 1969. He then attended St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in…

Mrs. Patricia Hartley

Service & Outreach Coordinator

Originally from the Hudson Valley in New York State, Patricia Hartley relocated with her husband to North Carolina in 1997. She became a stay-at-home mom with the birth of her first daughter in 1998. During the next 16 years…

2018, '19, '20 Best Catholic High School in North Carolina*

St. Thomas More Academy is central North Carolina’s top choice for quality college preparatory education in a close-knit and joyfully Catholic school community. STMA offers a committed and talented faculty, a safe and nurturing learning environment, and outstanding college placement support, all for one of the lowest tuition rates in the Triangle.

*According to Niche
www.niche.com

Most Reverend Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington (Formerly Bishop of Raleigh)

Catholic schools play an essential role in the future of our Church and Diocese. Recognizing that parents are the first and primary educators of their children, Catholic schools enter into a unique partnership with them. STMA is positioned well to assist parents in this endeavor. As a school officially recognized by the Diocese of Raleigh, it is dedicated to the authentic teaching of the Faith and provides families with a valued option in Catholic education.

Alice von Hildebrand Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Hunter College

God is always calling his people to the vital task of “renewing” authentic education. One enterprise that deserves our special praise and gratitude is St. Thomas More Academy. Thanks to the astounding generosity of its founder, Bob Luddy, and the unswerving efforts of its faculty, it has born rich fruit in its many students. We, both laity and clergy, have a great debt of gratitude to those who pour themselves into creating schools like St. Thomas More. Let us support them in every way possible. And let us not miss the chance to give our children the privilege of a real education.

Fr. Robert Spitzer S.J., Ph.D. President Emeritus, Gonzaga University

I’ve had the good fortune to present at STMA on multiple occasions. My subject matter, which draws from contemporary physics and philosophy, can be fairly demanding, but the students not only assimilate the material but ask very perceptive questions. I believe that the STMA faculty is the driving force behind these exceptional young people. I’ve been highly impressed by their knowledge and commitment to the students. For preparing teens to meet contemporary challenges brought about by the interaction of faith and secular culture, Saint Thomas More Academy offers one of the finest secondary programs in the nation.

Dr. Anne Carson Daly President, Mount St. Mary College

It’s a breath of fresh air to walk through the doors of St. Thomas More Academy. The administrators and faculty care about educating the whole person. The students are obviously happy to be there [and] are getting a terrific education that emphasizes what counts and what lasts. Spending time at STMA makes me wish that all students could have the opportunity to study there.

Dr. John F. Crosby Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Franciscan University

My wife and I visited St Thomas More Academy in 2011, and we were greatly impressed by the politeness of the students. I attended an English class that had almost the level of a college course. I gave a lecture to an assembly of all students, and I was struck by the intelligent and articulate questions I received from them. I went away wishing that I could send my own children to a school like St. Thomas More Academy.

Sister Mary Sarah Galbraith, O.P. President, Aquinas College

STMA provides a rich environment that allows each student to flourish and become who they were meant from all eternity to be. In fall 2013 a recent graduate enrolled at Aquinas College. I was able to see a direct correlation between the caliber of teaching and learning in a thoughtful, Christ-centered community and the impact that STMA’s integrated formation had on the young man. He brings his good qualities of mind and heart into every aspect of life and by his example encourages others to follow his lead.