Teaching Staff

Senior Instructors

John Swartwood 

Best Credential: What students say.  

"I chose Swartwood over the other people that teach it for several reasons. One, he really cares about us.  John cares that we will do well.  He just wants us to get most out of his teaching, the most out of the experience...It’s always really high energy in here, fun. Studying isn’t always fun but John somehow makes it fun…I think John is just different.  That’s just a good word for him…he’s the smartest person, smartest human being, I think I’ve ever met in my life, and he knows how to teach.  That’s important.  He’s not just a textbook.  He really teaches the material. So, I always walk away learning something new."

Lauren Appell- Former SWARTWOOD MCAT Student and UCLA undergrad (Alabama Medical School Student)

See VIDEO TESTIMONIALS-

Mini CV: 

• Head Instructor for SWARTWOOD.  SWARTWOOD students are now at UCLA (David Geffen), Johns Hopkins, Stanford, USC (Keck), Cincinnati, Albany, Alabama, UC Irvine, UC Davis, and Commonwealth among other schools.
• Was the Biology Instructor for the Pre-medical/Pre-dental Enrichment Program (PREP) and  the Re-Application Program (RAP) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 
• Was the MCAT Strategies Presenter for PREP/RAP (see above).
• Was one of the top three instructors in the nation for one of the biggest testprep companies in existence (when he entered the scene at age 21).   His classes had the highest average score improvement, and every single rating he received was a perfect 5 (1,000+).  They actually created their first ever salaried position to retain him as he was considered by most their TOP instructor before he left.
• Awarded the first-year mathematics teaching award at UCLA (reinstated specifically for John since first-year teaching assistants are normally not awarded teaching honors).
• Chosen as the pilot instructor (Math 3C) for the VIGRE UCLA Program in order to help win an National Science Foundation VIGRE Grant (UCLA) for the Mathematics Department.
• Taught for three departments at UCLA- Mathematics, Psychology, and Communications.
• Perfect 9 evaluations (200+ lecture, UCLA).
• Chosen as PEERS facilitator for Math 31A, 31B, 32A, and 3A (UCLA).
• Only person to have instructed a Math 199 (The Unimodality Conjecture for the Alexander Polynomial of an Alternating Link Type) with enrollment over 10 (15) (under Professor Brown's supervision- UCLA).

Teaching: MCAT (ALL Sections), Verbal Intensive, Physics Intensive, DAT, OAT, GRE (Verbal, Math, Writing), (LSAT, GMAT- no longer actively teaching) 

Education:  B.A. Psychology
M.S. Mathematics (UCLA) 
PhD (ABD) Mathematics (UCLA)
PhD Mathematics (in progress) (UCLA)
Academic Interests:  MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE, Spaces of Orderings, Knot Theory, Classical Mechanics, Cosmology

Val Komogor (Organic Chemistry)

Many a student has heard the brash Russian's voice echoing through university halls. With his unmodest sense of directness and his remarkable ability to see right through to the heart of the matter, Val has earned admiration and respect. A phenom in his own right, Val's breath of knowledge has impressed both North (Liberal Arts) and South (Science Oriented) campus goers alike. Val brings an eclectic approach to teaching that well complements the strong stage presence of John.  Val sports over 30 years of teaching experience, few can compare.

Teaching: MCAT Organic Chemistry, GRE Quantitative, GRE Subject Test Physics, (LSAT Formal Logic Workshop- no longer actively teaching)
Education: BS Mathematics (UCLA)
Academic Interests:  String Theory, Chaos, Philosophy of the Mind 

Negeen Shah. (Biology)

A SWARTWOOD success, Negeen took the simplest path to a 35 and then returned to teach for us.

Teaching: MCAT Biology
Education: BA Political Science (pending)- UCLA
Academic Interests:  MD and eating  

Natalie Abrahamian (Organic Chemistry)

Ariel Morad. (Organic Chemistry, Biology)

Ziyad Khesbak (Biology)

Sharon Noh (GRE Quantitative)

General Instructors

Zubana Ali (Biology- Gamma Ray)

Neha C. (Biology, Organic Chemistry)

Benjamin B. (Organic Chemistry)

Management and Marketing

Mai Swartwood (Manager)

Stephanie Mizuhara (Coordinator)

Mona (Marketing Coordinator)

Dallas DeLaVara (Marketer Coordinator)

Jason (Marketing Coordinator)

Neha (Marketing Coordinator)

Masha (Marketing Coordinator)

Instructors and Developers Emeritus

Tiffany Ho (now at Johns Hopkins Med School)

Sherif Richman (now at UCLA Med School)

Lori Brandt (now at Albany Med School)

Hannah Shull (now at UCLA Med School)

Michelle Lim (now in Med School)

Christa Slaught (now at UCLA Med School)

Gebina S. 

Ruth Montes (now at USC Med School)

Brandon Chuang (applying)

Ramee Younes (now in Med School)

Alicia Fiebig (now at UC Davis- PhD in Mathematics)

David Choi

Shaila Patel (Tufts)