Faculty and Leadership
Qualia’s polymathic educators believe that learning should be expansive, rigorous, and deeply human. Each teacher at Qualia brings lifelong curiosity and a commitment to intellectual exploration. Many of them often say they wish they had experienced a school like Qualia—one that prioritizes inquiry, dialogue, and meaning over rote performance. This perspective fuels their work every day. Through a philosophical approach to teaching, they bring their uniquely playful approach to encourage students and each other to question assumptions and engage with ideas at their deepest levels, cultivating not just knowledge, but wisdom.


Jim Hahn
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Head of School
BA Anthropology 1989, UCLA, Summa Cum Laude
MA Anthropology 1991, UC San Diego



Jon Cassie
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Co-Founder
BA History / BA Classics 1992, University of Massachusetts Amherst
MA History 1995, The Ohio State University
Ed.D. Educational Leadership 2010, UCLA


Mio Honke Hahn
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Director of Advancement
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Foreign Language Instructor
MA English (TESOL Concentration) 2004, San Francisco State University
MA Education, Leadership and Change 2020, Antioch College


Anne Butler-Swiech
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Director of 5 – 12
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English, History, Arts, Great Ideas Instructor
MFA Theater 2012, UCLA



Rose Chen
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Mandarin Instructor
BA Japanese and International Business 1997, Chinese Culture Univ.
MS Retailing 2008, Michigan State University


Brian Clark
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Math, Science Instructor



Adam Gelman
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Science Instructor
BA Biology 2021, Davidson College
MS Biosystems Engineering 2025, University of Arizona


Tim Handley
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Math, Science Instructor
MS Biological Sciences 2007, Cal Poly Pomona


Wednesday Hobson
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Humanities and Great Ideas Instructor
MA English 2016, Loyola Marymount University
MA Education, Leadership and Change 2019, Antioch University



Robert Johnson
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English and Music Instructor
BA Film 1994, Southern Methodist University,
Magna Cum Laude



Michelle Ratliff Willett
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Campus Engagement Specialist
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Humanities and Great Ideas Instructor



Daniel Rolnick
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Lyceum Coordinator
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Humanities and Idea Lab Instructor
BA Sound Arts 2011, Ex’pression College of the Digital Arts
MA Creative Writing 2023, Naropa University


Andrea Shear
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Arts Instructor


Nina Swan
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Spanish and PE Instructor
BA Sociology 2004, UCLA
MA Communication 2016, CSUN


JC Wright
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Philosophy, Humanities and Music Instructor
BA Philosophy 2017, Virginia Tech
MA Philosophy 2018, Virginia Tech














