Welcoming Our New Faculty Members

As we begin the new 2026-27 school year, we would like to welcome our new faculty members to the Notre Dame Family. We look forward to seeing them in the classroom this year and wish them the best of luck.

Mr. Rick Franzen - Bloomberg Teacher
Mr. Franzen is very excited to join the Notre Dame Family as the Executive in Residence for the new Business Academy at Notre Dame. Mr. Franzen worked on Wall Street for over 30 years before recently retiring.  He served as a Hedge Fund Manager at Millenium and REF Advisors, a Portfolio Manager at Merrill Lynch Asset Management and a Market Specialist at Bloomberg L.P.  He is a graduate of New York University (MBA - Finance) and Trenton State College (BA - Finance).  Mr. Franzen is most excited to help Notre Dame students take advantage of the  opportunities generated with Bloomberg terminals to help students develop potential careers on Wall Street.  

Ms. Morgan Micharski ‘22 - Science Teacher
Ms. Morgan Micharski is excited to be back at Notre Dame High School, this time as a part of ND’s science department. Ms. Micharski graduated from Elon University in North Carolina last spring with a Bachelor of Science degree in Astrophysics and a minor in Mathematics. Throughout her college career, she completed a 3 year long research project on detecting and charactarizing small active black holes with her mentor, Dr. Chris Richardson, and published her findings in the Astrophysical Journal this July. Her passion for teaching began in her college physics classrooms, while serving as a teaching and learning assistant for multiple classes within Elon’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Ms. Micharski looks forward to sharing her excitement for science with the rest of the Notre Dame Family.

Dr. Ken Micai - Science Teacher
Dr. Micai returned to Notre Dame after retiring in 2019.  He has been in education for over 40 years.  He started his career at Notre Dame in 1974.  After two years he left education for five years. He returned to teaching in 1981 at Hamilton High West, his Alma mater. In 2000 he became the supervisor of the science department at Hunterdon Central where he stayed until 2012.  He returned to Notre Dame in 2012 to teach chemistry and physics.  Dr Micai received his BS degree from the College of New Jersey, his MA from Rider University, and his Ed.D from Nova Southeastern University.  He is very happy to return this year and looks forward to an exciting year.

Ms. Nneena Parris - Mathematics Department
Ms. Parris is excited to be joining Notre Dame teaching Algebra and Geometry. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics Education from Kean University in 2015, and spent 10 years teaching math at various levels from middle school math to Precalculus. Her first job was in the tutoring center of Middlesex County College, where she spent 2 years as a student before transferring to Kean. She met and worked with an amazing group of professional educators who helped her develop her teaching skills, and had the opportunity to mentor a diverse and talented group of students, all of which shaped her love of teaching, learning, and math. She looks forward to an exciting year and seeing her students reach their goals. 

Mr. Carl Reif - Business Teacher
Mr. Reif returned to NJ to be close to his parents after living in Colorado for over 28 years. He graduated from Bishop Eustace Prep and attended college at Rochester Institute of Technology. His degree is multidisciplinary in Marketing, Management, and Finance. The thing he values the most in his life is family. He has 3 incredible sons, and he is proud and humbled to be their Dad. Prior to Notre Dame, I taught at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, CO, where he was hired to grow the Business Department. He was the Business Teacher and DECA/FBLA Advisor. DECA and FBLA are business clubs, and 22% of the student body at Regis Jesuit were a part of one or both clubs at the end of his tenure. The growth was incredible and greater than anticipated. Many stakeholders were involved, including parents, to reach that level of involvement.

Mr. Nicholas Shirley - English Teacher
Hello Notre Dame Family!  My name is Nicholas Shirley.  I am a new teacher here in the Notre Dame Community, lucky to join the English Department this school year.  I have been teaching for 6 years, from Holmdel and Freehold Regional Schools to Perth Amboy and, most recently, Steinert High School. It is a privilege to be a mentor, educator, and champion of every student I have come to know and have yet to meet. I look forward to giving all I can this school year and each of my students I get the chance to support and educate.

Faculty Members with New Positions

James Angiolino - Athletic Director
Mr. Angiolino has served as our Dean of Students since 2021. In this role, he worked tirelessly alongside faculty and staff, fostering an environment that enhances both academic and behavioral outcomes for our students, while building strong relationships with parents and our entire community.  Mr. Angiolino brings over 20 years of coaching experience across a range of sports, including soccer, basketball, baseball, and softball. Throughout his career, he has developed a reputation for cultivating young talent, nurturing positive team dynamics, and achieving remarkable success on and off the field.

Mark Stephan ‘05 - Dean of Students
Mr. Stephan is excited to begin his role as Dean of Students. He has served as a Math teacher at Notre Dame since 2010. In this role, he pushed students to think critically, be confident in themselves, and find success through hard work and determination. Mr. Stephan was also the Department Chair for both the Physical Education and Business departments. He worked to ensure that the teachers in both departments had the guidance they needed through observations, walkthroughs, and department meetings. Mr. Stephan also brings over 10 years of experience in the athletic department as both a football and lacrosse coach. He worked to build the skills of all the athletes on his teams and help them find success both on and off the field.