Welcome

UNIS at-a-glance

School Profile

Mission Statement & General Information

Board of Directors
Staff

The Campus
Canteen

Building Plans

School Community Survey

Abigail Lopez, MS Spanish Teacher
Abigail Lopez has been teaching Spanish and English since 1999. She started her career in her home city of Sinaloa, Mexico at an IB school. Following her interest to be an international teacher she moved to the Atlanta International School as a Spanish teacher and Concordia Language Villages for summer Spanish immersion programs. She has a B.A in Information Technology and in Education. Abigail is excited to be at UNIS and experiencing a new culture. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, acquiring new cuisine styles, socializing, and reading Spanish literature.

Alan Hough, PE Teacher
Alan hails from the North of England (Warrington) and gained his degree from Manchester , his teaching credential from Australia and his Masters degree from the USA. This is Alan’s second year at UNIS having previously worked in China, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the UK. An avid sportsman, Alan plays competitive football here in Hanoi and hopes to participate in track and field competitions if opportunities arise.

Ali Shebani, PE Teacher
Ali Shebani graduated from Douglas College with a Diploma in Sports Science before moving on to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where he completed a Bachelor in Human Kinetics. Ali then went on to Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia and finished off a M.A. in Teaching. He is an avid rugby enthusiast and enjoys watching sports. Travelling is also a huge interest of Ali's, visiting 6 continents and 21 countries so far!

Anne Marie Drozdz, Drama Teacher
Anne Marie comes to UNIS from Turkey, having spent 5 years teaching IB English and Theatre Arts in Ankara. Previous to that, she worked and travelled in Colombia, South America and Namibia where she did voluntary service for 2 years. She holds a BA Honours in Drama and is an amateur thespian of many years experience. She is excited about starting an MYP drama programme at UNIS and is very much looking forward to developing the talent of the students at the school.

Andrea Law, MS Science
Andrea completed her Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies concurrently at Brock University, St. Catharine’s in Ontario,Canada. She is a student herself, working to complete her Master’s of Education through the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Her teaching career began in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, as a Middle School Math and Science teacher. She then travelled overseas to teach at the International School of Helsinki, Finland. Andrea joined the UNIS team in the 2003-2004 school year and continues to enjoy working with the students at UNIS and life in Hanoi. She lives in Hanoi with her husband Matt and new son, Jack.

Bob Linaker, MS, HS and IB Mathematics
Bob has taught mathematics at UNIS since August 2004, and he continues to enjoy living and working in Hanoi.   His hobbies include gardening, reading and cycling.   On weekends and holidays, he takes every opportunity to see more of Vietnam and neighbouring countries.   Bob looks forward to continuing his involvement in community service projects this year and to encourage the Lions to get back on top of the house competition.   Bob has taught for over 26 years.   He has a Bachelors degree from the Australian National University and a Masters degree from the University of New South Wales.

Brenda Penrose, HS and IB English
Brenda is British and has a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in English Literature (London), PGCE/TEFL (University of North Wales) and a Master of Philosophy in Linguistics (Cambridge). She has worked overseas, in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Oman, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia, as a teacher, teacher trainer, textbook and material developer, examination writer and examiner. She has been in Hanoi with her family (Trevear, Jessica and Toby) since 2000, previously working in an education project for the Ministry of Education.

Brian Healy, Physical Education
Brian is from Boston, Massachusetts and has been in the field of education since 1991. He began teaching in international schools in Budapest, Hungary, then in 1995 moved northward to Helsinki, Finland. He moved to Hanoi in 2006 with his partner Eleonora, also at UNIS, and they are thrilled to be in this part of the world. At UNIS he teaches Middle and High school students. Brian and Eleonora are both highly accomplished swimmers and are happy to be coaching the UNIS Hammerheads. He has also coached baseball and softball for all age groups in North America and Europe, trained teachers and coaches in softball, and played baseball for five years in Europe. His interests are many but chief among them are reading, motorcycle riding, films and travelling.

Carolyn Nelson, MSHS Art and IB Art
Carolyn is excited to be working with UNIS students and living in Southeast Asia. She is an artist and educator and enjoys all aspects of art production.  Hanoi and Vietnam has a rich tradition of art and Carolyn looks forward to learning more about art in this region. She began teaching in the United States where she received her bachelor’s degree in K – 12 art education and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She moved to Poland for six years and started teaching  IB visual arts in 2002. She also taught in Hawaii and Romania before coming to UNIS. She is here with her husband, Rick, who works as the Sport Coordinator. Both Rick and Carolyn enjoy the outdoors and look forward to exploring many amazing places in Vietnam.

Catherine Cade, MSHS Mathematics
Catherine is looking forward to her first year at UNIS and all the excitement living in Hanoi offers. She completed her BSc in Mathematics at the University of Victoria and then enjoyed a first career in Optical Engineering. A few years ago she decided on a career and continent change and moved to New Zealand to complete her teaching diploma. Catherine spent a couple years teaching in various places in NZ before deciding to come to Hanoi. She was lucky enough to enjoy the 7 months gap in school years travelling through Southeast Asia and trekking in India and Nepal. She loves to travel and explore new cultures.

Charlotta Ekman, Swedish Teacher
Charlotta came to UNIS in 2009. She has taught language at schools in Stockholm, Sweden for six years. Before deciding to become a teacher she studied Mandarin Chinese and East Asian Studies at university and she has spent five years of her life in China studying Chinese, teaching English and taking Swedish tourists around the country. Charlotta loves travelling, this summer she went on an overland safari in East Africa and she dreams about going to Borneo to see the orangutans.

Christian Bryan, DP Psychology, MSHS Humanities
Christian is looking forward to his first year at UNIS. Previously he worked in Moscow and in the North of England in Liverpool, Hull and Warrington. He received his Bachelor’s, PGCE and Masters degrees from Liverpool University and is finishing up his Doctorate for Bath University in the UK. He is currently a Workshop Leader for the IB in Psychology. His main passions are: cars, films, walking in his native Yorkshire and exercise. He loves dogs, The Beatles and Oasis (and chocolate cake).

Christopher McDonald, IB Diploma
Chris has been teaching since 1990.  He gained a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Social Policy. He has worked in the UK, France, Russia, Dubai, Uganda, and is now happy to be in Vietnam.  Chris has taught MYP Humanities, IB Diploma Economics and Theory of Knowledge.  Chris’s interests include photography, football, table tennis, squash, reading, chess, and listening to music.

Clint Hamada, MSHS Technology Facilitator
Clint has a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley. Before coming to UNIS in 2006, he taught in California, Japan, and Tanzania. He has taught a wide range of grade levels and courses, from Grade 6 mathematics to IB Diploma Higher Level, as well as Theory of Knowledge and Information Technology. Clint is now taking on a new role as the MSHS Technology Facilitator, aimed at helping teachers and students integrate technology into the classroom to create innovative and exciting Learning Experiences. Clint enjoys playing basketball, hiking, fishing, and camping. He also enjoys photography - his favorite photographic subjects are his wife Mel and their 3 young children.

Cyrille Girardin, French Teacher
Cyrille has been teaching French as Foreign Language (FLE) for nine years, starting with public schools and followed by international schools in Switzerland, Eritrea, Ghana, and now in Vietnam. He started working with the IB programme in 2004 and strongly concurs with the values and qualities it represents. He has a B.A.in FLE and a M.A. in French and Spanish Languages. Besides teaching, Cyrille enjoys a variety of activities stretching from writing to tennis, from running to travelling, from diving to chess, from hiking to reading and above all, he is passionate about sailing.

Donna Bracewell, MSHS Learning Support Teacher
Donna has been teaching and consulting in education for thirty years. She worked for several years designing programs for children with learning challenges and leading workshops on community building in school settings.  Donna has spent the last 22 years on a small island off the west coast of Canada. Here she, her husband David and their six children lived and worked on a 320 acre organic farm. Donna was the principal and lead teacher of a K-8 nature based school located on the farm. With their children grown it was time for a change. Donna and David have come to Hanoi to fulfill a long time dream of living and working in Asia.

Edwin Van Olst, MSHS Humanities Teacher
Edwin got his M.A. and post-graduate international teaching degree at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He then spent 5 years in the Swiss Alps teaching IGCSE, A-level and IB DP History as well as Theory of Knowledge. The Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou was his second posting, where he taught MYP Humanities, IB DP History and Theory of Knowledge for two years. The ensuing year he cycled through Europe and New Zealand and from Panama to Alaska. In 2008 he joined UNIS Hanoi, where he currently teaches MYP Grade 10 Humanities and IB DP Theory of Knowledge. He loves sports, books and travelling.

Emma Burns, MSHS Music Teacher
Emma Burns is from Brisbane, Australia, and holds degrees in both music and education from the Queensland University of Technology. Since coming to Vietnam in 2006 with her partner Sean, Emma has worked at UNIS as an EAL teacher, a UNIS Music Academy Instrumental Specialist, and as the 2007-2008 School Yearbook Coordinator. This is her first year teaching middle and high school music at UNIS, and she is very happy to be in the music room where she belongs! When she’s not in the classroom, you can find Emma singing somewhere in Hanoi with her bands “the Van Ho Ba” and “For Folk’s Sake”.

Meagan Enticknap-Smith, MS Counselor
Meagan is known to most of the community. She has 16 years of professional education experience as a teacher, PYP Coordinator, Administrator, Counselor and IB Trainer. Her experience spans all levels including teaching adults. She is currently our MS Counselor and has taken on that role again for the rest of this school year. Meagan is married to Drew, who works for the Canadian Government and they have three children. Megan and her family enjoy hiking, swimming and being outdoors.

Cecilia Unite, MS Counselor
Cecilia Unite is from Canada and has been working with children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in Vietnam for over 8 years. Her work has been focused on public health, particularly adolescent behaviour and sexual reproductive health. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), a Master of Arts in International Development and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Counseling. In 2007, Cecilia helped develop a survey and collect and analyze data on social and emotional behavior at UNIS. She lives in Hanoi with her family (Julian and Edan).

Heather Buck, MSHS Language B/EAL
Heather is very excited to be working and living in Asia for her first time. She has taught English in the United States for the past four years and prior to that she taught English in Madagascar for two years with the Peace Corps. She received her B.A. in Government at the University of Virginia and her Master’s degree in Education for English as a Second Language K-12 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Heather enjoys reading, trying new food, and running. She hopes to get involved in some of the amazing community service activities at UNIS this year, including Habitat for Humanity.

Jake Otto, MS Teacher Science & Humanities
Jake Otto was born and raised in Colorado Spring, Colorado.  He left Colorado to go to University in Washington state at the University of Puget Sound where he obtained his BS in Natural Sciences with an emphasis in Geology.  After university Jake spent the next few years working in outdoor education teaching science at camps to summer groups and school groups.  Jake returned to Colorado to get his teaching certificate at Denver University and to begin his classroom teaching career.  After teaching in the States for five years Jake went overseas to teach in Norway.  Now he teaches science and humanities for the Middle School.

Jane Altemen, MS and HS Science, MYP Coordinator
Jane has been a teacher and administrator since 1983. Like many UNIS students, she is a ‘Third-Culture Kid’ since she is Iraqi and English but grew up in England, Iraq and Canada. Before beginning her South-east Asian adventures here in Hanoi, she worked in the Middle East, Canada and Europe. Jane’s husband, Mark Bethune, is also a teacher at UNIS and they share their adventures with their two elementary school sons, Tariq and Zachary.

Jeremy Thompson, HS Science, IB Chemistry and IB Coordinator
After gaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Bristol University in the UK, Jerry decided to spend a year travelling round the world. This led him to take an interest in international teaching so he attained his Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Hull University and then worked in Kenya, UK, Peru, Thailand, Turkey and Malawi before arriving in Hanoi in 2004. He has been teaching the IB diploma Chemistry course since 1995 and has been Diploma Coordinator at UNIS Hanoi since 2005. When he is not teaching or travelling round the world he enjoys keeping fit and playing soccer.

Rick Nelson, Sports Coordinator, MSHS PE
Rick has worked in the education field for over 25 years and has worked extensively in the areas of youth development, service-learning, adventure education and athletics. Rick and his wife Carolyn (MS/HS Art), are originally from Minnesota in the United States. In Minnesota, Rick served as the Program Operations director for the National Youth Leadership Council, as an Extension Educator in prevention for 4-H Youth Development and for ten years served as the District Youth Development Coordinator for the White Bear Lake School District near St. Paul, Minnesota. Since going overseas eleven years ago, Rick has served as Activities/Athletics Director for the American School of Warsaw (Poland), American International School of Bucharest (Romania) and Hawaii Preparatory Academy. During the summer months, the Nelsons return to their stateside home in the mountains of Wyoming.

Ji Young Ahn, Korean Teacher
Jiyoung taught at the Middle/High School level for many years in Korea. She holds B.A. degrees in Korean literature and child education. She has an M.A. in Korean education. She has four Certificates of teaching:  Korean education for MSHS, child education, essay writing, and Korean language for foreigners. She is very interested in communication and has written thesis in Korean for evaluation category of communication at secondary school. This is her first position overseas and she finds it very exciting.  She is in Hanoi with her husband and new son.

Julian Griffiths, MS and HS Design Technology
Julian has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Design technology and Business, also a PGCE from the UK. His specialty is Design Technology and computers. He has worked in Botswana, The Netherlands, UK and Portugal before commencing at UNIS in August, 2005. Julian is here with his wife Karen and three children all under the age of 7. Julian’s interests include kite surfing, scuba diving, and photography.

Julie Shaw, HS and IB English
Julie gained her BA Honours Degree and Teaching Diploma in England. She started teaching in 1985 and has spent most of the years since then overseas, working in schools in Kenya, Peru, Thailand, Turkey and Malawi. She has been teaching English at the IB Diploma level as both Language A and Language B, since 1994 in addition to teaching Middle and High School English courses. She joined UNIS in 2004, just as the new campus started up. She enjoys life in Hanoi and likes to spend time at home fussing over her two cats. Her other interests include cooking and photography and she makes the most of every opportunity for travel.

Karen Hafner, HS Counselor
Karen Hafner is the HS Counselor.  Karen completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Juris Doctor, and a Master of Science in Counseling.   Prior to coming to Vietnam 2008, Karen worked as a school counselor for a decade in Maui, Hawaii and Portland, Oregon.  She moved here with her son who is in Grade7.  Karen’s background is varied and she has had several careers on the way to finding her true passion as a HS counselor.  Karen has worked as a pharmaceutical sales rep, a lobbyist and developed and administered a pathological gambling treatment program.

Kevin Johnston, MS Humanities
Kevin is excited to be starting his first year at UNIS as a Middle School Humanities and English teacher. He is from the U.S. and earned his Master of Education degree from Marymount University in Virginia. Kevin began his career as an international educator in Quito, Ecuador. From there, he moved to the Anglo-American School of Moscow. Most recently, Kevin spent five years teaching Humanities at the American International School of Israel. He is married to Lilli Ann Lucas, a third grade teacher at UNIS, and together they have two small children. Both of his children are in the ECC at UNIS. Kevin enjoys traveling and is looking forward to exploring Vietnam with his family.

Liz Druitt, HS and IB Music
Liz obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Music) from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia, majoring in Woodwind Performance. She received her qualifications in Music and Drama Education from the Queensland University of Technology. Liz worked in Australian high schools for eight years before heading to Beijing to teach in international schools. She has been an IB Music examiner for seven years and this is her eleventh year as a member of the UNIS team.  Liz is here with her husband and her young daughter who has is now in the ECC.

Maite Montero Nahoum, French and Spanish
Maite joined UNIS in August, 2007.  She has dual citizenship as she is French and Spanish. She gained a Masters in English in France and the I.T.C from ECIS and the University of Cambridge in 2007. She has worked in England, the Bahamas, the University of Waikato in New-Zealand, Togo, and more recently The Czech Republic. She loves the outdoors and travelling. Maite has a daughter in Grade 2 at UNIS.

Marcelle Houterman-van Leenen, MS/HS Language B English Coordinator
Marcelle joined UNIS in August 2007 and has worked in IB schools for the past ten years. She previously worked at Nanjing International School in China and the International School of the Hague in the Netherlands. She has a MA in English Language and Literature and a BA in English and Education, as well as a TESOL qualification. Having spent most of her young life travelling the world with her parents, she is now enjoying the same lifestyle with her own family. Her husband, Tommas Houterman, teaches English B and EAL in Middle School and they have two young boys who also attend UNIS.

Margritha Hofman, MS and HS Science and IB Physics
Margritha was born in the Netherlands and raised around the globe. After finishing her IB exams, she went back to the Netherlands to study Physics and Mathematics and has been teaching at International Schools in Europe, Africa and now Asia for the past 19 years. She speaks Dutch, German and English, and would love to practice her Spanish and Portuguese. She is passionate about Physics, horses, Model United Nations, the MYP, designing and, above all, her family. She joined UNIS in August, 2005, together with her husband Reinier, also a teacher at UNIS, their children in Grades 3 and 7 and Poespas, the cat.

Mark Bethune, HS and IB Maths
Mark began teaching in 1991 in Toronto, Canada and accepted his first overseas post in 1995 shortly after his marriage to Jane Altemen, who also teaches at UNIS. In Bahrain, Mark held the positions of IB Coordinator for three years and Head of Mathematics for six years before moving on to Munich, Germany for an additional four years as the Head of Mathematics. Mark is a Deputy Chief Examiner for Mathematics SL and a workshop leader in the same subject for both new and experienced IB teachers. Mark and his family have been in Hanoi since 2005 and fully enjoy the experiences and attractions that Vietnam and Asia have to offer.

Martin Nielsen, HS Business/Humanities Teacher
Martin Nielsen is from Chicago, Illinois, earned his bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Southern Methodist University and his Master of International Business Management from Thunderbird.  After a career as an options trader and in management, he switched to education.  Martin taught for six years in Winnetka, Illinois prior to his arrival at UNIS.  His outside interests include investing, golf, fitness, cooking, and playing the piano.

Mathew Febrey, Physical Education
Matt has a Bachelor of Education, Honors Degree in Physical Education from Exeter University, England. He joined UNIS in 2006 after previously teaching in Tanzania, Nepal and England. Matt enjoys the challenges that living and working in an international community brings and is interested in a wide variety of sports and activities. Matt is married to Claire who teaches in the Early Childhood Centre and together they have two children.

Melissa Griffin, MS and IB Maths and MS Information Technology
Melissa has a Bachelor of Education (Science) from the University of Melbourne, specialising in Mathematics and Information Technology, and a Postgraduate Certificate (CELTA) to teach English as a foreign language from Edith Cowan University in Perth. Since 1992, she has taught across primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education in Australia, England and Vietnam.  Melissa moved to Vietnam in early 2002 and commenced working at UNIS in 2003. As well as Mathematics and IT, Melissa has taught High School humanities, coordinated the yearbook and started the High School Senate in her first year at UNIS and has also been a part of the MS Student Council. She was also a third culture and international school student, attending nine different schools in her childhood in Australia, The United States and Hong Kong.

Michelle Noullet, MS English B
Michelle has her Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont and her BA from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. She has taught ESL/EFL and has worked as a teacher trainer in Burkina Faso, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, the USA and Vietnam. Michelle is an IBO MYP senior moderator for Language B. Her interests include poetry, astrology, and Ayurveda medicine and she is a Kundalini Yoga instructor.  Michelle has been at UNIS since 2001.

Tommas Houterman, MS/HS EAL
Tommas has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Education. He has taught in Holland and at the International School of Nanjing in China and has now been in Vietnam for nearly 3 years. Tommas was born in Holland but grew up in Oxford, England. He is married to Marcelle and they have two sons. His interests include football, travel, films and books.

Nick Whatley, Teacher of MYP English A & B
Nick has held a variety of positions of responsibility during his career, including Head of English Language at two secondary schools in Hong Kong. He has taught English in the United Kingdom, Sudan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.  Nick has also undertaken rewarding periods of education-related voluntary work. Indeed, his first introduction to Vietnam was in the capacity of a teacher-trainer working for the voluntary organisation Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in 1997. Since then, Vietnam has never been far away, emotionally or geographically, and he is truly delighted to be embarking on his second year as a teacher in the English Department at UNIS.

Nguyen Bien Thuy, Community Service Liaison Assistant
Nguyen Bien Thuy obtained a Bachelor Degree in English language from the Hanoi University of Foreign Studies in 2005. He worked in the Human Resources Department of Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. for 2 years before joining UNIS Hanoi in January 2008 as the Community Service Liaison Assistant. His current job provides him many opportunities for meeting many people from different cultures and to help underprivileged people in the community. Thuy is a keen traveler. In his free time, he and his friends like visiting the minority villages in the mountains and breathing in the fresh country air.

Nguyen Quang Phi, Physical Education Teacher Aide
Phi completed his High School education in Nam Dinh Province with PE as his favourite subject. After High School, Phi served with the Vietnamese Army from 1990-1993 and travelled extensively throughout the country. In early 1994, when Phi moved to Hanoi, he pursued his career studying the English language. Phi finished his training at Hanoi English School in 1996 and immediately joined UNIS as a PE teacher aide in August of that year. Phi is known for his athletic abilities and enjoys working with students of all ages. He is married with one daughter whom he spends time with when he is not working.

Pauline Roby, MS Art Teacher
Pauline Roby has taught Art in schools, colleges, and community workshops for over 20 years.  She finally left the organic farm in Australia for Hanoi to realize a childhood dream of living in Tonkin. Pauline has Diplomas in Fine Arts and Education and specialist training in Theatrical Costume & Design, Theatre Production Arts, Puppetry and Textile Surface Design.  Her artwork has been exhibited annually since 1970.  Interests include; study of ethnic textile techniques, drawing, dancing, laughing, reading, fishing, and having friends. She has two grown daughters back in Australia who love to travel and explore as much as their mother.

Peter Powell, MS and IB English
Peter has a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Language and Literature from the Open University in the UK. He gained his Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Exeter University, UK. He has taught in Turkey, Spain, UK, Kuwait, Italy and now Vietnam for 4 years. Peter was born and brought up in Zambia. He is married to Lisa and they have a six year old son, Ben twins, Sam and Ella who are two. His interests include sports, travel, Africa, films and books.

Phan Thanh Hoa, Vietnamese Teacher, Elementary School ASA Coordinator and MYP Community and Service Coordinator
Hoa obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Hanoi University of Foreign Studies in 1996. She obtained her teaching certificate and qualifications in TESL/TEFL from the same university. In 2004, Hoa completed her Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. She joined UNIS in 1996 and has been working since then as teacher of Vietnamese for Middle/High School and Coordinator of After-School Activities for Elementary School. She also takes over the MYP Community and Service Coordination this year. During her free time, Ms Hoa enjoys traveling, reading books, listening to music, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her lovely daughter.

Phan Thi Kim Hoa, Sports Department Secretary
Hoa graduated from Hanoi University in 1999 with a degree majoring in English. Before working at UNIS, she worked at Hanoi International School before commencing at UNIS in September, 2006. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and drawing with her young son and caring for her new baby.

Phan Thuy Van, Science Teacher Aide
Van obtained her first Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Hanoi Economics University (1995) and her second Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Hanoi University of Foreign Studies (1996), where she also obtained her teaching certificate in 1996. Van joined UNIS in 1997 to work in the Science Department. In her spare-time, Van enjoys relaxing, surfing the Internet and spending time with her family.

Reinier van de Ven, MS and HS Information Technology, Computer Science
Reinier was born and raised in the Netherlands, but he has been teaching in IB schools around the globe for 18 years. He speaks Dutch, German, English, some Spanish and Portuguese and a few words of Vietnamese. Reinier joined UNIS in August, 2006 from Tanzania where he taught IB Computer Science (MSc) and Maths (MSc). He is passionate about Mathematics, strategic games, movies and his family. Reinier has come to Hanoi with his wife Margritha, daughter in grade 7 and son in grade 3.

Rob DeAbreu, MS Maths and IB Mathematics
Rob completed his BA and Bachelor of Education degrees concurrently at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Rob has taught mathematics and history to students from 6th to 12th grade, including DP Math SL and Studies.  He previously taught in Antigua and Ghana, and this is his 7th year of teaching, and 3rd year in Hanoi. Rob also heads up the UNIS HFH Community Service Project team that will see a group of HS students attend an overnight service excursion to help build houses with low income families in rural Vietnam.  In his spare time, Rob likes to run, cycle, play sports, read, hike, listen to music, and travel.

Roland Schmidt-Bellach, IB Environmental Systems, ITGS and MS IT
Roland has over ten years international teaching experience in India and El Salvador. He joined UNIS in August, 2005. He comes from western Canada where prior to teaching he worked for seven years as a professional hydro-geologist on groundwater investigations. Roland and his wife have three sons, Lucas (9 years), Thomas (4 years) and Mathias (2 years). His interests include playing soccer, cycle touring, Permaculture, hiking, skiing, canoeing, ultimate Frisbee, road hockey, sailing and singing in choirs.

Sean Tangey, MS English A and B
Sean holds a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts (English) from the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. His first posting overseas, Sean has been teaching English at UNIS since 2006 with his partner Emma.  He has also enjoyed getting to know 8th Graders better through his pastoral role as Grade 8 Coordinator. When he is not in the classroom, you can find Sean practicing flute with his band or playing Ultimate Frisbee on the oval.

Seran Choi, Korean
Seran Choi has been in Hanoi with her family since 1995 and at UNIS since 2003. Seran has a Bachelor of English Literature from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. She is teaching Korean as a Mother tongue language for Grades 8-10 and IB Korean. Her husband, Dr Sichan Kim works for a Vietnamese charity clinic and her three children attend UNIS. Her family enjoys watching films, reading and traveling.

Sophie Cibré, MYP and DP IB French
Sophie completed a double BA in Modern Literature and French as a Foreign Language, a PG Dip and a Masters in Comparative Literature and Linguistics with the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France. She has been teaching French for over fifteen years from high school to university levels in France, in Canada and in New Zealand. Sophie came to UNIS in 2005, she teaches French in Middle and High schools. She likes reading, cooking, outdoor sports, travelling and spending time with her friends and family.

Steve Powers, IB History and Theory of Knowledge
Steve graduated from Fresno University in Fresno, California with Bachelors Degree in Psychology. Prior to working at UNIS, he taught in Fresno California, then in Doha, Qatar, and Kobe, Japan. Steve has taught AP United States History, AP and IB Economics, IB History, MYP Humanities, and Theory of Knowledge. After two previous visits to Vietnam. Steve, his wife Christina came to UNIS in 2003. Steve is currently serving as the Head of Department for Humanities and coaches Girls Basketball.

Tran Thi Cham, Music Academy Admin Assistant
Cham had previously worked in tourism field for 6 years before having decided to work at UNIS. It is her second school year working at UMA  as Music Academy Admin Assistant. She enjoys scheduling the music classes for UNIS Community: students, parents and staffs. Traveling is one of her favorite activities, along with reading books, attending music events.

Tran Thi Thanh Van, HS Counselor & DP Coordination Secretary
Van graduated from Hanoi Open University, BA in English. After 05 years working at another international school in Hanoi, she has a chance to move to UNIS and working as Secretary for HS Counselor and DP Coordinator. She likes UNIS community,and is happy with what she is doing now and enjoy every single day at UNIS. Van likes music, cooking and travel. She likes this statement “To the world you might be one person, to one person you might be the world”.

Tran Thi Xuan, MS Vietnamese
Xuan gained a Teacher’s Degree in teaching English as an Additional Language from Ha Bac Teachers’ Training College in 1994. She also worked as a teacher in the English Department at the same college for two years before moving to Hanoi. In 1996, Xuan joined UNIS as a Teacher Aide. She has worked with children at many different grade levels at UNIS Elementary School for nine years and has been teaching Vietnamese and culture since 2005. In her spare time, Xuan enjoys reading and listening to music

Wayne Hodgkinson, MS and HS Science and IB Biology
Wayne completed a Bachelor of Science (Zoology) and a Master of Science (Marine Botany) at the University of Otago. He taught IB Biology along with the New Zealand curriculum for six years at John McGlashan College in New Zealand, where he was Assistant Head of the Science Department with the responsibility to oversee and develop the Grades 6 to 9 Science programmes. Arriving at UNIS in 2005, Wayne currently teaches MYP Science (Grades 6, 9 and 10) along with IB Diploma Biology. Outside the classroom, he organises an international cultural exchange each year. His main interests are surfing, fishing, hunting, mountain-biking and surfing again!

| home | about UNIS | academics | admissions | activities | community |
| news | contact | calendar | alumni | archive | employment |