Meet the Leadership

Andrew is Morningside’s Executive Director. He’s been with Morningside for 10 years, first as a trainer with Morningside Teachers’ Academy partner schools in Hawaii and then as Associate Director of Morningside Academy since 2017.

He received his B.A. in Public Affairs Journalism from The Ohio State University in 2007 but after a summer at Morningside’s Summer School Institute, turned towards Generative Instruction. He first started teaching middle school but quickly expanded to working with a wide array of K-12 students. He spent two more summers studying and coaching at Morningside while training dozens of teachers and education professionals in the Implementation of the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ohio.

Andrew oversaw the implementation of the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction at Haugland Learning Center in Columbus, Ohio, where he served as director from 2010-2014. This was the first successful replication of the Morningside Model of Generative Instructions with students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Andrew completed his Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas under the mentorship of Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz and Dr. Traci Cihon. He completed an experimental research thesis on operant variability, a behavioral phenomenon critical to creativity and problem solving. He also conducted instructional design research on undergraduate education and Dr. Israel Goldiamond’s constructional approach to therapy.

In addition to overseeing all aspects of Morningside Academy, Andrew also coordinates Morningside Teachers’ Academy partnerships with schools across North America and Europe. He’s a frequent speaker at behavior analysis, special education, and general education conferences and workshops.

He’s an avid reader, indie rock and americana music fan, and enthusiastic outdoorsman, who enjoys swimming, paddleboarding, surfing, kayaking, trailrunning, and much more. Above everything, he enjoys spending time with his wife Sarah and two children, Bear and Scout.

Kathy joins our Leadership team this summer with over a dozen years of experience in working within as well as managing education programs for students with learning disabilities. She received her BA in Psychology from Ohio State University, as well as her Masters of Arts in Psychology and Post-Master’s BSBA Course Sequence from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Kathy also participated in the Morningside Academy Summer Institute in 2010 and 2014 and has continued to do consulting with teachers and administrators stemming from our MSI program.

Julian Gire, School Psychologist and Associate Director, began working at Morningside Academy in the summer of 2006. But the path to Morningside was a long one spanning the Pacific Ocean and Cascade Mountains. Julian was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and after graduating from high school he moved to Cheney, Washington where he attended Eastern Washington University. While at EWU he earned a B.S. in Applied Developmental Psychology with an emphasis in School Counseling. Julian loved EWU so much that he stayed another three years to earn a Masters of Science in School Psychology and currently holds the designation of Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). In his free time Julian enjoys getting out into the garden, BBQ’n with friends, and playing paintball.