University High School is excited to introduce five new teachers who will join our faculty this fall. Please join us in welcoming Kristin Chun, Tim Hon, Jannie Kim, Mercedes Muniz-Peredo, and Michael Spiegel.

Meet Kristin Chun, Chemistry Teacher (Part-Time)

Kristin Chun will return to University High School this fall to teach Chemistry. She taught Biology at University during the 2015-16 school year, and she most recently has taught science courses at Park Tudor School. She has more than 30 years of experience as a scientist and teacher at the high school and college levels. She has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Stanford University, and she has completed postdoctoral work in biochemistry and molecular biology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Chun and her daughter, Allison, will both be new to University High School this fall; Allison is a member of our Class of 2022.

Dr. Chun was born in the same hospital as President Obama, and the science research projects she worked on in graduate school and her postdoctoral fellowship were all in topics with scientists who went on to win Nobel Prizes.

“I’m excited to return to an environment where everyone’s learning is sincerely supported by the University High School community,” said Dr. Chun. “As a teacher, I love my job because I enjoy helping students learn and watching them grow.  I also feel lucky when I’m learning from them and other teachers.”

Meet Tim Hon, Biology Teacher (Part-Time)

Tim Hon will be a part-time biology teacher at University High School starting this fall. He comes to University most recently from Eastwood Middle School, where he served as interim assistant principal for a semester in 2016. His career with the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township has spanned 45 years and has seen him move from student-teacher to classroom teacher to coach to athletic director to assistant principal. Mr. Hon has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, both from Butler University.

Mr. Hon comes from a large family; he is one of fourteen children. In order to pay his way through college at Butler University, he worked as a brakeman at night on the Norfolk and Western Railway. He is also well-regarded within his family as a trivia master, or “wealth of useless knowledge” according to his wife.

“What I am most excited about as I begin working at University High School is the opportunity to return to the classroom and work with motivated students within such a fantastic educational environment,” said Mr. Hon. “My son, Jake, is getting ready to graduate after four great years at University and often says how much he loves the school. Based off his experience alone at University, I am eager to become a part of this wonderful educational community.”

Meet Jannie Kim, Math Teacher

Jannie Kim will be a math teacher at University High School starting this fall. She comes to University from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, where she taught Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry for the 2017-18 school year. Prior to Brebeuf, Ms. Kim had more than 10 years of math teaching experience at high schools in California and Colorado. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in intercultural studies from Biola University in California.

Ms. Kim was born and raised in California, and she moved to Indiana almost two years ago with her family (husband and two children). She is a fanatical Dodgers fan, and she loves to paint, draw, sew, and craft. Her self-described “guilty pleasure” is playing video games with her kids.

“I am excited about meeting the students at University High School and working with a great math department,” said Ms. Kim.

Meet Mercedes Muniz-Peredo, Spanish Teacher

Mercedes Muniz-Peredo will join the University High School faculty this fall as a Spanish teacher. She comes to University from Zionsville High School, where she has taught Spanish I, III, and IV since 2015 and served as sponsor of the Spanish Club (and many others). She has experience teaching all age ranges — from pre-school students to adults — and she is active in many professional associations, including the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA), American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), and American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). Ms. Muniz-Peredo has a bachelor’s degree in teaching from Universidad Panamericana (Mexico City, Mexico) and a master’s degree in teaching (with a bilingual education endorsement) from Wayne State University.

Ms. Muniz-Peredo was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico and is a native Spanish speaker. She is an avid runner who has completed three marathons and many other races, and she has walked the “Way of Saint James” (el Camino de Santiago) in the north of Spain. She is married to Carlos and has three children — Manuel, Luz, and Susi.

“I am most excited about joining a learning organization in University High School that is clearly committed to the education and formation of young men and women with a delight in their uniqueness and personal growth,” said Ms. Muniz-Peredo. “My first impression of this place is that it feels like a family embarked together on a limitless learning journey.”

Meet Michael Spiegel, English Teacher

Michael Spiegel will be an English teacher at University High School starting this fall. He comes to University High School from the Severn School in Severna Park, MD, where he was a high school English teacher. He also has experience teaching at the college level, with nearly 10 years of experience at University of Virginia. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature from University of Wisconsin at Madison, a master’s degree in English language and literature from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from University of Virginia.

Dr. Spiegel will move to Central Indiana this summer with his family, including a two-year-old son and a daughter who was born on March 29, 2018. He describes himself as a “rabid Harry Potter fan” and once ran with the bulls in Pamplona.

“[In coming to University High School,] I’m most excited about returning to the midwest and being part of a tight-knit community that knows, respects, and values one another,” said Dr. Spiegel.