About Us
Undercover Nerd strives to build each student up to mastery, instilling confidence along the way. Streamline your studies by working up to more advanced material in bite-size pieces (in education, this is called scaffolding!). Our staff is here to support you!
Educators
Lynda Elliott
As the founder of Undercover Nerd, I am so lucky to be in the company of other great educators! I am a Math and Physics teacher with 19 years of experience spanning classroom teaching, private tutoring, and Gifted and Talented programs. I have a Master's in Physics with a concentration in Education from University of Virginia, certificate in Leaders of Learning from Harvard University, and hold teaching certificates in Math, Physics, Elementary Education, Students with Disabilities, and Middle School Science.
I specialize in demystifying challenging math and physics concepts by (1) explaining concepts as clearly as possible, (2) performing examples in order to model the problem-solving process, and (3) providing several practice problems to work up to mastery. While I am a professional, I enjoy conversing in a casual tone (think more Penny, less Sheldon), as math and science are often culprits for producing anxiety in students. Whether you are aiming for that 800 on the Math SAT, or simply trying to make it through your physics course unscathed, please feel free to reach out to me and let me help you in attaining your goal!
Dr. Jeff Klatsky
Dr. Jeff Klatsky has a Ph.D. in Physics from Florida State University and a B.S. from Boston College. While his research area is nuclear physics, he primarily tutors all levels of Mathematics and Physics, including Statistics! He lives in Tampa, FL, loves marshmallows and salsa dancing, and specializes in distilling complex topics down into something much more comprehensible.
Grace Woleslagle
My name is Grace, and I have been a high school Chemistry teacher in Bergen County, NJ since 2003. I can help with Chemistry related coursework or Chemistry subject test preparation. I earned my undergraduate degree in Environmental Chemistry in 2002 from Columbia University, and my Masters of Chemical Education in 2009 from University of Pennsylvania. But... just because you have fancy degrees or think you're smart doesn't mean you're a good teacher! So... I've been told that I'm a hard, but fair and fun teacher by my students, and I've been one of my HS's teachers of the year. I tend to be a visual learner, so I'll draw and write stuff and give analogies to help my students visualize and connect concepts.
Ben Spicer
Ben Spicer has been teaching science and mathematics to college-bound students for nearly ten years. He has been tutoring in schools and colleges for over twelve years. As a full-time teacher, Ben knows the challenges that students face and he knows what they need to excel. He is an expert in instructional scaffolding for helping students become competent independent learners. He understands that although students have access to many learning resources, even the best students need a coach to motivate them to reach the next level. Like any great teacher, Ben is an avid learner. He continually seeks to new opportunities to be a better educator. Few things give him more pleasure than learning something new from his students. Ben holds a M.S. in Science Education from Montana State, a M.A. in Physics Education from University of Virginia, and B.S.'s in Physics and Mathematics from California University of PA.
