LINEC Instructors
In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn. Our instructors are the heart of LINEC, bridging generations of wisdom through the simple act of sharing.
Spring 2025 Instructors
Dave Wasilew
Don Melander
Don Melander is Professor of English Emeritus at New England College, where he taught literature and humanities for more than fifty years. During his tenure, he also taught three English courses annually in NEC’s AA and BA programs at the New Hampshire State Prison. He served as Director of NEC’s British Campus in Arundel, Sussex, and earned his Ph.D. in American Literature from Syracuse University.
Lisa M. Melander
Lisa M. Melander is a semi-retired elementary school teacher and math consultant. An alumna of New England College with a B.A. in Philosophy, she is pleased to be back in New Hampshire after many years in the Pacific Northwest. She also holds an M.Ed. from Plymouth State University.
Curtiss Rude
Curtiss Rude has a BS in Physics from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MS in Electrical Engineering (solid-state physics) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He worked in the microelectronics industry for IBM in Vermont for 20+ years in various engineering and engineering management roles. His second career was as a high school chemistry and physics teacher for seven years. Upon retirement, he took up astronomy as a hobby. He also plays club chess most weeks. Curtiss and his wife, Suzanne, have two grown daughters and reside in Loudon.
Glenn Stuart
Glenn Stuart is Professor of Theatre Emeritus at New England College, where he taught for 38 years. During his career, he designed more than 125 theatre and dance productions and served as the founding director of the Open Door Theatre. He holds an M.A. in Theater from the State University of New York at Albany.
Sarah Traphagen
Sarah Traphagen, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in English from the University of Florida. Her expertise includes American literature, history, and Civil War medicine. She has published in The Journal of Military Experience and The Journal of Working-Class Studies. Sarah has taught at the University of Florida as well as in college preparatory schools. She currently resides in New Hampshire with her family.
Eric J. Simon
Eric J. Simon, Ph.D., is Professor of Biology at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. He teaches introductory biology, human biology, and tropical marine biology, and has led international travel courses to destinations including Belize, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Cuba, the Amazon, and Patagonia. Dr. Simon received his B.A. in biology and computer science and his M.A. in biology from Wesleyan University, and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University. He is the author of a widely used series of college biology textbooks, with more than two million copies in print, used by students in over 40 countries.
Dave Wasilew has spent more than forty years working at the intersection of engineering and software. His career spans a wide range of cutting-edge projects, from satellites and sonar to artificial intelligence and advanced software systems. Alongside his technical career, Dave has cultivated a deep passion for music. He has shared this enthusiasm through LINEC courses on the history of blues and jazz, world music, and other explorations of musical traditions. Dave enjoys teaching across disciplines—whether helping learners understand the transformative power of a symphony or the real-world implications of technologies like 5G.
Sharon Czarnecki
Sharon Czarnecki is a graduate of UNH with a BS, SCL majoring in Behavioral Science. Her career as a vocational counselor confirmed her belief that people are endlessly fascinating. Since 2015, she has run the Weare Area Writers Guild and is also the community outreach reporter for Weare in the World News. It is her firm belief that we all have a story to tell and that doing so benefits ourselves, our families, and, in fact, our whole community.