New Faculty & Staff

Patrick (Paddy) Gilliland
Dean of Students

My name is Patrick, or Paddy, Gilliland and I am so excited to be in Sofia Bulgaria and humbled to be serving the ACS community. I am stepping into the role of Dean of Students, a role that I have done for the past 5 years in China. While each school might envision the tasks of the Dean of Students differently, the basic premise is the same, make sure students are cared for well and make sure they have a school/learning environment where they can excel. 

I come to ACS after more than 30 years as a teacher, school counselor, and school administrator. My talents have mostly been in working with students that don’t always find school easy. Some of the most talented students find managing school a challenge, I hope to help these students learn to not only survive, but thrive at school, and beyond. 

I have felt very welcomed in my short time at ACS, it feels amazing to be part of such a caring community. I have a grown son and daughter (and 10 year old grandson) back in the US, and of course my lovely wife, Joy. 

Timothy Vanderpool
Dean of Faculty and Staff Development

After graduating from Occidental College, my career began in the US public school system. For 14 years I was an AP/IB physics teacher, athletic coach (baseball, American football, and rugby), and after achieving the National Board Certification, a district-wide instructional leader. After a move to Japan (2006), and earning a Master’s in Instructional Design & Technology, I became a full-time curriculum leader and in 2015 moved to Vietnam to become a Director of Teaching & Learning. I eventually pursued a Certificate of School Management & Leadership and have spent the last three years as a Head of School in Ho Chi Minh City. 

I grew up in California and although I have not lived there for almost twenty years, the culture has defined my life’s journey. I have traveled across much of the globe, but my wife Anh and I have not experienced this region. We are looking forward to learning a new culture, language, and after living in South East Asia, the diversity of four distinct seasons. We are truly excited about joining the ACS community!

Francis McIvor
Director of College Counseling and Career Advising

Before joining ACS in the fall of 2024, I served as University Counselor and SAT Coordinator at the American School of Milan, Italy. Prior to this I was College and Career Counselor and CAS Coordinator at the American International School of Mozambique. I have also previously been High School Counselor at the International School of Florence in Italy and University Counselor at the British School Jakarta in Indonesia.

I started my education career in the UK, as a Classics teacher at Stonyhurst College, and then as Head of Classics and assistant boarding housemaster at West Buckland School. Subsequently, for 27 years I taught Classics, Philosophy, and Critical Thinking at Norwich School, where I also served as housemaster, senior housemaster, and senior tutor, the last of which involved responsibility for Oxbridge and US university applications. I have a Master's in Classics and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of Cambridge, as well as an MEd in International Counseling from Lehigh University and a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA.

Jennifer Noble
Biology Teacher

Hi, I’m Jennifer Noble. I am delighted to be working at the American College of Sofia both for the exceptional students and the highly rigorous atmosphere. I recently completed a PhD in Biology with an emphasis on the ecological effects of climate change in a highly stochastic desert ecosystem. 

I have extensive experience in education in the USA and abroad, both as a professor and as a high school biology and chemistry teacher and I believe the only road to change is through science-/data-backed research disseminated through education. I have taught IB chemistry and biology, AP biology, Honors chemistry, and I most recently taught at the University level as an adjunct professor in several branches of health-field-related biology. 

I love nature: it is my passion, my church, and my hobby, and you will most likely find me hiking around with my dogs, reading a good book, or taking pictures.

Mallory Tarses
English Language and Literature Teacher

Hello! I am Mallory Tarses, and I am delighted to be joining the ACS faculty. I have been teaching for 30+ years, in Los Angeles, California; Wilmington, North Carolina; and, most recently, Bogota, Colombia. Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Los Angeles, I have lived in Italy, Hawaii, and Colombia and adore the everyday challenges and surprises that teaching brings. I come to Sofia with my two Colombian cats, Carlos and Norman, who look forward to learning their third language. When not teaching, I love to play tennis, write stories, and take photographs. I look forward to exploring Sofia, Bulgaria, and Europe, discovering art, museums, mountains, and strangers along the way.  

My favorite city is Rome, favorite movie is Double Indemnity, favorite writer is Vladimir Nabokov, favorite poet in Dante, favorite singer is Elvis Costello, favorite Shakespeare play is Macbeth, favorite shape is the triangle, favorite TV show is Patriot, favorite architect is Francesco Borromini, favorite game is the NYT Wordle, favorite weather is rainy, favorite item of clothing is black jeans, and favorite person is my daughter. All but the latter are subject to change, and change is good. I look forward to learning alongside my students.

Husain Barma
Chemistry Teacher

Hello! I will be teaching Chemistry at ACS to grades 10,11 and 12. After completing my B.S. degree in Chemistry from Mumbai University in India, I went on to get my Master's (M.A.Ed) in Science Education from Virginia Tech, USA. I've enjoyed teaching Chemistry in high schools for 13 years in various cultural contexts in the U.S., India, China, and a virtual school in the cloud. Over this period I've taught IBDP, AP, and Honors Chemistry.

What I enjoy most about Chemistry is the rapidly evolving and interdisciplinary nature of the subject, and its ability to elucidate mundane phenomena in our daily lives through simple, yet fascinating... and at times… counterintuitive... explanations. Working with students to understand and expand their thought process to a higher order of learning is what motivates me, and I look forward to doing this here at ACS.    

In my free time I enjoy playing racquet sports (tennis, squash, ping pong and pickleball), and am always up for a challenge!

Vladislav Borisov  
Informatics Teacher

Hello everybody! My name is Vladislav Borisov and I'm amazingly thrilled about this chance to join the American College of Sofia community.

I was born in Sofia, where I graduated from the John Atanasoff Vocational High School of Electronics. I received my Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and Informatics from the Technical University of Sofia and I've been Assistant Professor since 2022 in the Faculty of Computer Science and Technologies there. I wrote a scientific research paper in 2023 on Machine Learning Algorithm Naive Bayes for Differentiating Content Created by Human or Artificial Intelligence. Between 2021 and 2023, I was responsible for teaching Mathematics and Informatics in an IB School, based in Sofia.

One of my passions is Formula 1, where data analysis software comes into play, and where most teams use a software called 'RaceWatch nowadays'.

I look forward to teaching here at ACS and to discovering the creative side of robotics with my students.

Victor Cherubim
English Language and Literature Teacher

Hello, I’m Victor Isaac Cherubim, from Rochester, New York. I earned my BA in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo, then moved to Pittsburgh where I had a five-year career playing music - I play guitar, bass, and I sing - and organizing community events. I got my first job teaching English at a charter school in Boston, where I taught for two years. I then moved to Casablanca, Morocco and taught IB sciences. Two years later, I moved to New York City to earn my MA in English Education from Columbia University while teaching English at a charter school in Brooklyn. Upon graduating, I spent a year teaching in Barranquilla, Colombia before moving here.

In my spare time, I continue to play music, I teach yoga, and I am looking forward to skiing the Bulgarian slopes. I am excited to be joining the ACS ELL team teaching grades 9 and 10!

Luke Funk
Biology Teacher

Hello, my name is Luke Funk, and I am honored to be joining the Science Department at ACS as a biology teacher. I was born in Alberta, Canada, known for its beautiful mountain vistas of the majestic Rocky Mountains. After graduating from the University of Alberta in 2014, I decided I would try my hand at teaching.

In 2015, I began my first teaching job in Hong Kong. Once, I completed my first-year teaching abroad, I wanted to continue teaching and found a position teaching in rural South Korea. I worked in South Korea for three years before moving to China for an opportunity to teach adults. After completing two years in Hefei, China, I moved to Thailand to teach and to explore a new country. There, I met my fiancé who is a research scientist. My hope is to introduce her to Bulgaria in the upcoming year.

I am very excited to be a part of the ACS community.

Panka Ilieva
Math Teacher

Hello! My name is Panka Ilieva. I hold a Master's degree in Mathematics and Informatics from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski", my first major being Operations Research and my second Pedagogy. I have extensive experience working with students Grades 5-12, both general and advanced classes. I have worked with both children who love to delve into math problems and children driven to despair by math; both of these groups of students became successful in math and even found learning math enjoyable. I think this is a solid foundation and will be very helpful in teaching the students here at ACS. I believe that with the support of my approachable colleagues I am guaranteed to achieve my goals - a positive student attitude towards my subject and knowledge that is both deep and lasting.

Velislava Lakova
Spanish

Hello everyone! My name is Velislava Lakova. I joined the ACS team at the beginning of the academic year 2024/2025 as a Spanish teacher. I was born and grew up in Sofia and completed my secondary education at the 164th Spanish Language School. I completed my undergraduate degree in Spanish Philology with a focus on linguistics at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” 

It was during my time at the university and as I was embarking on my practice as a Spanish teacher that I realized that teaching is not a profession but rather a vocation. Over the years, my career has developed in different directions. I have extensive work experience in the administration of a large international company, and I have also worked at the Embassy of Argentina in Bulgaria. At a point in my life when I was looking for a change, the teaching profession chose me! To be among students and to touch and contribute to the lives of children and young people is the most exciting and rewarding experience for me.

Besides the Spanish language and culture, I love Latin dances and another passion of mine is energy psychology. In my free time, I love hanging out with friends, being with my sons, and combining recreation with working with people. My experience with energy psychology has helped me gain intuition, empathy, and compassion that are useful in all areas of life and especially in my contact with children.

Caroline Lazarova
ESL Teacher

Hello! My name is Caroline Lazarova, and after joining the ACS community this past February I’m excited to start a new school year in the ESL department and work with the College’s  youngest students. 

I was born and raised in Portland, Maine and hold a B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Maine at Farmington. I first came to Bulgaria in 2016 as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, working for a year at a foreign language high school. I then taught English to children and adults for three years at an auxiliary program of the American University in Bulgaria. My husband and I relocated to the United States in 2020 and after three years living and working in St. Paul, Minnesota, we happily returned to Bulgaria. I’m excited to share my passion for literature with my students, serve as a trusted mentor, and guide them all towards a successful and joyful five years at the College!

Stanislav Maleshkov '02
Economics and Entrepreneurship Teacher

I was very fortunate and privileged to graduate from this school in 2002. It is spectacular how much investment has been put into this remarkable institution over the past two decades. It is also endearing after all these years to still see so many familiar faces on campus.

As a life-long learner, I know I will benefit enormously from the interaction with the brutally intelligent and recklessly ambitious young learners here. On my part I can share with them my real-life business perspective. I hope to facilitate their personal learning journeys towards their own goals, aspirations and super-powers.

After 15 years as a recruiter, trainer, business consultant, and social entrepreneur, I want to give back to the community, which has opened so many doors for me. And I am super excited to go on this adventure together!

Aleksandra Mironova
Math Teacher 

Hello!

My name is Aleksandra Mironova. I was born and raised here in Sofia.

My passion for math and teaching runs in my family. The person who inspired me to become a teacher was my grandmother, who was also a math teacher and who played a significant role in my upbringing. Because of her, during my school era I was very passionate about studying. I found solving math problems to be very entertaining and relaxing - something I could do for hours without getting bored. This was a great foundation for becoming a teacher because I understood the value of good education and for me it was extremely important to have a meaningful career. 

I have a variety of interests - sometimes it feels like every week I choose something different to do. Bulgarian folk dance is a hobby that stuck: I have been dancing for two years as of now with no signs of stopping!

A big dream of mine is to live in a cosy cottage in the woods and have my own garden where an abundance of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices grow. 

Alexander Moutanov
English / Translation Teacher

Hello everyone!

My name is Alexander Moutanov and I am a professional ESL teacher with a Master's Degree in Translation and Linguistics (Italian-English language combination) through the Western Sydney University in NSW (Australia) and a holder of level 5 CELTA Certificate in TESOL from Cambridge Australia. I am passionate about languages and have always wanted to help non-native speakers to learn English. I enjoy communicating with people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and it helps me understand the challenges associated with the process of learning English as a second language. Prior to becoming an ESL teacher, I have worked in tourism and business events. I also hold a BA in Music - percussion instruments are my speciality - from the Bulgarian Academy of Music as well as a MS in International Economic Relations from the UNWE.

I have lived in Morocco, Germany and Australia and cannot wait to visit North America one day.

I look forward to contributing with my English teaching and translation skills in a meaningful way to the academic growth and development of the ACS students I have heard so much about. 

Alex Popov
Biology Teacher

I was born in the oldest European city of Plovdiv in 1998 and raised in the capital of Bulgaria - Sofia. The good old days of being a highschooler at First English Language School (Class of 2017) and my passion for science were the driving forces behind my decision to become a teacher.

I first started teaching biology back in 2020 at Erich-Kästner-Schule (a German-Bulgarian private school) while still being a student at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”. My bachelor’s thesis studied the antimicrobial effects of various novel nano-composites and the
interpretation of the obtained scientific data by Bulgarian high school students.

I believe that biology and science as a whole are vital for the development of students’ abilities, intelligence and curiosity. Teaching makes me happy and I am truly excited to be part of the ACS community!

Kristina Savova '18
Math Teacher

Hi, everyone!

My name is Kristina Savova and I'm beyond excited to join the ACS community for my very first school year as a teacher! Well... I would say rejoin it, because I'm actually a proud ACS graduate myself! I'm happy to be back on campus – this time from the other side. During my teenage years, ACS shaped my personality – the rigorous academic curriculum made me develop my critical thinking skills and taught me how to approach problems in a creative way. Here, at ACS I discovered my deepest interests – math, as well as everything art-related, especially music. I recently completed my Bachelor's degree in Information Technology at the New Bulgarian University. Alongside my major, I also completed a minor in Electronic Music.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, traveling, going to the theater, spending time with my friends and loved ones, listening to music, and composing. "But that's another story and shall be told another time." (The Neverending Story)  For now all I can say is that I look forward to entering this old-new chapter of my life!

Ivan Stoykov
Math Teacher

I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, and have spent most of my life studying and working here, with the exception of the four years I went to The American University in Bulgaria, where I double majored in Mathematics and Journalism. I became a mathematics teacher shortly after and spent the following decade teaching students grades 5 through 12 in three different national curricula. I am a qualified IB teacher with more than 100 IB graduates, who currently work and study all over the world in many fields. 

Aside from mathematics I have strong interest in traveling (I have already visited 43 countries), literature (I am trying to write poetry myself), and foreign languages (I currently juggle with six foreign languages with a different degree of mastery, spanning from English, which I can speak fluently, to Chinese, which I barely started).

I am happy to join the team and eager to contribute to the ACS community.

Lachezar Stoykov
Informatics Teacher

Hi! I’m excited to join the team as your new Informatics and IT teacher. My path here has been shaped by a deep passion for technology and a relentless curiosity about the world. With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mass Communications, I've spent the last eight years teaching IGCSE and IB programs, helping students navigate the fascinating world of algorithms, data, and digital innovation.

I’ve also had the privilege of earning online certifications in Computer Science and AI from every Ivy League university, ensuring that I bring the latest knowledge and best practices into our classroom. But my journey doesn’t stop there—I’m a lifelong learner with three Master’s degrees in Theater Acting, Film Production, and Astronomy. While these might seem unrelated, they’ve equipped me with a unique perspective on how technology intersects with creativity and exploration.

Yoana Antonova
Psychologist

Hello ACS community! My name is Yoana Antonova and I am incredibly excited to join the dedicated Student Support Team at ACS as a School Psychologist.

Born and raised in Sofia, I spent the last 8 years in The Netherlands, where I completed my Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Master of Science in Child and Adolescent Psychology (Leiden University), and acquired invaluable professional and volunteer experience. Working with teens and parents of diverse backgrounds, personalities, cultures, and socioeconomic conditions enriched me and made me even more open-minded, approachable, and empathetic. I enjoyed studying, living, and working abroad, but now I am thrilled to be back in my home country where I hope to keep thriving, growing, learning, and expanding my horizons within the international environment at ACS!

Pursuing a career as a School Psychologist has always been a dream of mine, as it entails two of my lifelong passions – mental health and education. As students spend most of their time at school, I believe that their happiness, confidence, and overall well-being are just as important as achievement, learning, and discipline, so they can thrive academically, socially, behaviourally, and emotionally. I am there to support them.

The two quotes I live by are “We rise by lifting others” and “Practice what you preach”. I try to live a more mindful life by engaging in daily self-care and self-reflection, and developing healthy coping strategies and holistic habits for a healthier and happier life.

Tsvetelina Tsvetanova
Medical Nurse

Hello! My name is Tsvetelina Tsvetanova. I graduated from Medical University of Sofia with a degree in midwifery in 2019. From 2019 to 2021 I worked in England as a medical specialist. Before I joined the team at the College, I worked in a children's facility in Sofia. In my spare time I like to paint, spend time outdoors walking or playing sports. I also love to travel - travelling inspires me and makes me feel alive.

I am happy to be part of the staff as a nurse in the doctor's office at ACS, an institution maintaining the highest academic standards in secondary education in Bulgaria. I am happy to bring my experience and knowledge to ACS. 

Milena Gancheva
Math Teacher Intern

Hello, my name is Milena Gancheva and I am more than happy to join the ACS team!

I was born in Sofia and graduated from the Sofia Math High-School. I am currently a second year student of Applied Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University. I've dreamed of becoming a mathematics teacher since I was very young. Teaching is my passion. I get along with children/young adults very easily: I love to guide and motivate them and I am always there if they need something.

In my free time I draw and dance. I have been training in martial arts for 9 years and I am a big fan of extreme adventures.

Dimana Krumova
Bulgarian Language and Literature Teacher Intern

Hello! My name is Dimana Krumova and I am excited to бе joining the Bulgarian Language and Literature Department at ACS as a Bulgarian teacher intern.

I am currently in the final stages of completing my undergraduate degree at New Bulgarian University, majoring in Bulgarian Studies. Working with people in the field of literature inspires me, and I want to be able to pass on that excitement and exhilarating energy to my students. I believe that literature teaches kindness, broadens one's worldview, and develops our identity. Books and reading have been my passion since early childhood. But besides the company of good literature, I love spending quality time with my loved ones and my dog, traveling, discovering new hobbies, and creating. 

Milosveta Tsokova
Math Teacher Intern

Hello!

My name is Milosveta Tsokova and I was born in the city of Lovech, also known as "the city of lilacs". I graduated from the Natural Sciences and Math High School in Lovech. I am currently a fourth year student, majoring in Mathematics and Informatics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Sofia University.

I have an interest in photography, I like to travel, and I am busy actively helping homeless animals.