Carla Guarraia

Carla is the chair of the Upper School science department. She is an advisor to the Beekeeping Club, the International Student-led Arctic Monitoring and Research (ISAMR) program, and the Hiking and Camping Club, and develops Wellness programming.

After earning her Ph.D. in molecular biology and conducting research in chemical and biological engineering, Carla did a brief stint in industry studying nanoparticles for drug delivery. She then turned to teaching, following in her husband’s footsteps, and worked at St. Paul’s School for Girls. After visiting a beekeeping club event at Park, Carla decided she wanted to work here. “Now, I’m the best version of myself, doing research and developing programs that I believe in, supporting students and seeing how their unique experiences can lead to innovative changes that make our world a better place.”

In January 2025, Carla received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The award is the highest recognition that a Kindergarten through Grade 12 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Only one teacher per state is recognized each year, making Carla the only teacher selected in all of Maryland — an extremely competitive region. Read more about the award and Carla’s recognition here.

Carla loves working on her mini-farm raising chickens, turkeys, bees and composting to restore damaged soils, but admits that she’s “not so good at raising vegetables.” She also likes more traditional activities, including watching Netflix, doing crafts with friends, and reading middle school fiction.

Carla has a B.S. in Biology/Chemistry Interdisciplinary Studies from Loyola University in Maryland, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at University of Maryland Baltimore County. She is the parent of a Park School student in the Class of 2028.

2021 ArcticChange (international climate change scientific conference) Poster Presentation:

• “Longitudinal Analysis of Soil Microbial Communities of Four Tundra Habitats of the Greater Wapusk Ecosystem in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Manitoba, Canada.”

• 2020 ArcticNet (international climate change scientific conference) Poster Presentation: “Monitoring the Soil Microbiotic Communities of Five Distinct Tundra Habitats of the Greater Wapusk Ecosystem in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Manitoba, Canada.”

Manuscript in preparation: “Characterization of Tundra Soil Microbiome in Churchill, and Identification of a Bog Indicator species for Active Layer Thickness”