New Faculty Bring Expertise and Enthusiasm to the Hilltop

Teachers are the backbone of the student experience here at Canterbury, and we are pleased to welcome these outstanding new faculty members to campus for the 2022-23 academic year. With wide-ranging experience, knowledge, and areas of expertise, they are ready to make an immediate impact on our students this fall.

“I’m excited to welcome these outstanding educators to our faculty team,” said Suzanne Roberts P ’24, Associate Head of School for Academics and Dean of Faculty. “Their experience and passion for teaching will be tremendous additions to our community.” 

Say hello to our incoming faculty members!

Eliza Beaudin, Psychology Teacher
A graduate of Elmira College with a B.A. in Psychology, Eliza served as an Academic Fellow in Elmira’s Psychology Department. She was also a Senior Proctor at Hebron Academy in Maine and a Junior Counselor at Rousseau’s Hockey Clinic in Auburn, Maine. A four-year member (and two-year captain) of Elmira’s nationally ranked Women’s Ice Hockey team, Eliza earned 2022 New England Hockey Conference Player of the Year honors. She will assist the Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey, Girls’ Varsity Soccer, and Softball Programs on the hilltop.

Libby Bennett, English Teacher, Girls’ Varsity Tennis Head Coach
Libby attended Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, graduating with a double major in English and Education. She has experience as a Student Teacher of English at Mt. Hope High School in Bristol and a Substitute Teacher in the Bristol/Warren School District, as well as a Special Education Aid at John Trumbull Primary School in Watertown, Connecticut. A three-year member of Roger Williams’ Varsity Tennis team, Libby will be coaching Varsity Tennis and Girl’s JV Soccer at Canterbury.

Mark Ciabaton, Latin Teacher, Swimming Head Coach
Mark brings extensive experience in teaching Latin to the hilltop, including faculty positions at Council Rock High School North in Newtown, Pennsylvania; the University of California’s Department of Classics; The Altamont School in Birmingham, Alabama; and several schools in New Jersey. In addition to his classroom duties, Mark will serve as Head Coach of our Swimming program. As a swimmer at Hill, he was nationally ranked by Swimming World magazine, and he twice earned All-American honors in the pool at the University of Maryland. 

Anne DeSousa, English Teacher
Anne spent nearly 20 years as an English Language Arts teacher in Connecticut, serving on the faculty of Brookfield High School, St. Aloysius School in New Canaan, Ponus Ridge Middle School in Norwalk, and Middlesex Middle School in Darien. She holds a B.A. in English from Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts, and a master’s in Teaching and Curriculum from Boston University. She was also Lead Literacy Teacher for The Teachers College Reading and Writing Program with Columbia University. She will assist the Track team on the hilltop.

Caitlin Farrell, Athletic Trainer
Caitlin grew up in New Milford, so her arrival at the hilltop is a homecoming of sorts. She comes from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she was an Athletic Trainer (Women's Volleyball and Softball teams) in their Transition to Practice Program. She earned a B.S. in Exercise Science and M.S. in Athletic Training from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. She also has a Board of Certification credential as an athletic trainer and a member of the National Athletic Training Association.

Fran Foley ’64, Math Teacher
Canterbury alumnus Fran returns to the hilltop for his second tenure as a faculty member. He had previously spent 20 years at the School as Director of Admissions, Dean of Students, Math Teacher, Coach, and Advisor. He was most recently Chief Executive Officer for Avila Retirement Community in Albany, New York, and was Head of School for Saint Gregory’s School in Albany for 10 years. Four of his children—Megan ’91, Frances III ’93, Sarah ’95, and Caroline ’99—are also alumni of the School, along with brother Kevin ’65 and niece Libby ’06. 

Brian Fruscio, Assistant Director of College Counseling, Boys’ Varsity Basketball Head Coach
At The Albany Academy in Watervliet, New York, Brian served as Dean of Students, Learning Counselor, Director of Summer Camp, and Development Associate. During his tenure as Head Basketball Coach there, he compiled an overall record of 226-79 in 15 seasons. Brian was also an Assistant Coach for the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association and for NCAA Division I program Siena College, as well as Head Basketball Coach at La Salle Institute and Southern Vermont College. He was inducted into the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Adam Millar, Math Teacher
Adam graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in Philosophy, then earned an M.S. in Logic, Computation, and Methodology of Science from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was Senior Instructor at Axiom Learning in Boston, Massachusetts; Teaching Assistant at Carnegie Mellon; and Instructor for Mathematical Logic at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Most recently, Adam worked with the Russian School of Math in Bellevue, Washington. He will serve as an Assistant Coach for the Saints Crew team.

Miranda Natera, Spanish Teacher
Hailing from Mexico City, Mexico, Miranda attended the Modern American School in Mexico City. At just 17, she trained as a volunteer rural teacher in San José Corral Blanco, Puebla, Mexico. She earned her B.A. in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Miranda has worked as a staff writer for F Newsmagazine at SAIC and a freelance copywriter for FCB México. Prior to joining Canterbury, she served as a Teaching Fellow for Phillips Academy Andover. She speaks four languages—Spanish, English, French, and German.

Brian Shearer, Theology Teacher
Brian comes to Canterbury from his alma mater, Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was a Theology Teacher, Campus Minister, and Baseball Coach. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Religious Studies from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, and his M.S. in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He has studied and performed service work around the world at such locales as Wales, Israel, South Africa, Haiti, and India. Brian will serve as an Assistant Coach for Varsity Baseball.