Each year, Class IX students anticipate the beginning of Fall term because of the beloved Biology Insect Project. This year, as the group neared the culmination of bug collecting and mounting, they were able to hear from professionals who work with insects.
Students first heard from guest speaker, Dr. Ary Faraji (father of Ayla, Class IX, and Xavi, Class VI). He brought live larval mosquitoes and fish for students to observe and feed. He also had two adult mosquito cages with different species: one a beneficial mosquito and the other a pestiferous and medically important species.
Students also heard from both Doug Harper (commercial beekeeper) and Emily Tyler (mother of Izzy and Jack, both Class IX, who keeps hives) about honeybees and beekeeping. Mr. Harper shared an overview of why honeybees are beneficial and the basics of beekeeping, while Ms. Taylor brought in honeycomb to try and spoke about the specifics of honey and how each depends on the bees and their surroundings.
Karla was born and raised in the foothills of the Adirondacks in upstate New York. It was there that she developed a curiosity and love for our natural world. She particularly loves biology, which she chose to pursue as her undergraduate major at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Karla pursued her interests in biological research, veterinary sciences, and medicine. This prepared her to join the inaugural class for Cornell鈥檚 College of Veterinary Medicine鈥檚 combined DVM/PhD program. During her combined degree training, Karla pursued a mixed small and large animal pathway during her clinical rotations, completed a dissertation on the evolution of canine parvovirus, and developed her pedagogical skills as a future faculty fellow. After earning her veterinary degree, Karla worked part time for Shelter Outreach Services in Ithaca, New York, providing spay/neuter surgeries and infection control support for regional animal shelters. After earning her PhD, Karla completed her postdoctoral studies at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, where she continued studying viral evolution and host switching, as well as genomics, bioinformatics, and microbiome sciences.
Driven in part by the need to get students interested earlier in biomedical and health sciences earlier and her love for teaching, Karla chose to move from higher education to secondary school education. She was a science teacher and dorm parent at George School, a Quaker boarding and day high school in Pennsylvania, for five years before joining the 蘑菇传媒 faculty for the 2020-2021 school year.
In addition to teaching, Karla enjoys spending time with her dogs, Fig and Fern, Nordic skiing, hiking, reading, and solving puzzles. She is also thankful for the opportunity to work once again as a part time small animal veterinarian.
May 20, 2025
June 3, 2025
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Celebrate 5 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2021. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 10 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2016. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 15 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2011. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 20 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2006. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 25 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2001. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Come together with 蘑菇传媒 alumni from across the entire 1990s for an evening of reconnecting and reminiscing! This combined reunion is a chance to celebrate the friendships, memories, and moments that made your 蘑菇传媒 years so special. Enjoy hearty appetizers and a variety of drinks, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, while catching up with old friends and sharing laughs about your school days.
Saturday, May 16 | 7:30 – 11:30 AM | Murray Science Center
We’re bringing back birding! Who remembers the Class IX Bird Project? Don’t miss your chance to join this fun, family-friendly event with Mark Bromley, James Harris, Mike Johnson 鈥�88, and Bekka Joslin. We will meet at 蘑菇传媒 and take a bus together. Don鈥檛 forget to bring your binoculars (we will have extras on hand if you don鈥檛 have your own).
Friday, May 15 | 6:30 鈥� 7:30 PM | East Field
We’re excited to see 蘑菇传媒 Alumni at our annual Alumni Soccer Game! This 蘑菇传媒 tradition gives former players the chance to return to the field, reconnect with old teammates, and showcase their skills in a friendly atmosphere. Whether you played with us just a few years ago or several decades ago, we look forward to seeing you back on the field. Make sure to bring friends and family to cheer you on!
Friday, May 15 | 5:00 鈥� 7:00 PM | Main Quad | No Registration Required
Join us for a fun BBQ bash at 蘑菇传媒 with current families and 蘑菇传媒 staff and faculty. It鈥檚 a great way to connect with your 蘑菇传媒 classmates and enjoy delicious food before the Alumni Soccer Game!
No registration is needed for the Spring BBQ. Please join us!
Friday, May 15 | 4:00 鈥� 5:00 PM | Haught Visual Arts Gallery at 蘑菇传媒 | No Registration Required
蘑菇传媒 has always been a place where creativity thrives. Join us for the first-ever Alumni Art Show in the Haught Visual Arts Gallery and reconnect with the creative spirit that shaped your time here. This exhibition features work by 16 蘑菇传媒 Alumni artists, reflecting a range of disciplines, perspectives, and practices.
Brief Remarks at 4:00 pm will be offered by Gallery Manager and Curator Charlie Tadlock, followed by remarks from some of the Alumni Artists.
Click for a campus map
Friday, May 15 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | Miller Student Commons | Registration Highly Recommended
Ever wish you could go back and sit in your favorite class one more time? This Alumni Weekend, you can. We’re bringing you back “Back to Class” where you’ll have the chance to slip into a real, live Upper School classroom and experience 蘑菇传媒 exactly as it exists today. Same teachers, same energy, same magic. Come relive the feeling.
Friday, May 15 | 12:45鈥� 1:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
Don’t leave lunch just yet. Immediately following the Kick-Off, Head of School Andrew Menke will take a few minutes to share what’s been happening at 蘑菇传媒; the changes, the milestones, and the exciting things on the horizon. It’s a chance to hear straight from the source about the school you helped shape and where it’s headed next. No sign-up needed, just pull up a seat.
Friday, May 15 | 11:00 AM 鈥� 1:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
Kick off Alumni Weekend the right way 鈥� with good food and even better company. Join us in the new Miller Student Commons for 蘑菇传媒’s all-inclusive dining experience, and spend the lunch hour reconnecting with the faculty who made your time here unforgettable. Pull up a chair, catch up with old favorites, and let the weekend begin. No registration is required for this event.
Friday, May 15 | 1:00 鈥� 2:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
For many of you, Assistant Head of School, Todd Winters, was the first person who ever showed you and your parents around our 41 acre campus. Now he’s back to do it again! Todd will lead you through 蘑菇传媒’s beautiful newest additions and recent transformations, giving you a firsthand look at what your years here helped build. Whether it’s your first tour with Todd or your second, you won’t want to miss this one.