Meet The Teachers

Zoo Academy Team Leader

Mrs. Kemme Hazlewood is a 24-year veteran instructor who has worked at the Zoo Academy since 2010 teaching English (11/12/CCP), Geometry, Probability and Statistics, and Precalculus.  She helps students improve their literacy and mathematical skills and increase conceptual understanding — all while having fun!  She is also a certified Reading Specialist (K-12) with an MEd in Literacy from the University of Cincinnati, a junior/senior Class Advisor, and a Cincinnati Public Schools Certified Lead Teacher.  With a passion for research and travel, she has been to various countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Iceland, Mexico, and Costa Rica learning from local ecologists, animal experts, and conservationists and collaborating with fellow educators on interdisciplinary and inquiry-based teaching strategies. In 2018, she earned an MA in Zoology from Miami University, Oxford. 

Mrs. Kemme Hazlewood is passionate about broadening her students’ experiences in nature, introducing them to careers in environmental fields, and providing them with opportunities to interact with people of different cultures. She serves on the board of directors of Adventure Crew, a local nonprofit that gets underprivileged students out into nature Through this organization, she takes Zoo Academy students on weekend trips to hike, bike, kayak, rock climb, camp, and orienteer — activities that help them relieve stress, have fun, build life skills, and network with peers and adults. She also serves on the management board of another local nonprofit, the Camping and Education Foundation, through which Zoo Academy students are introduced to outdoor craftsmanship and wilderness survival skills and have opportunities to participate in summer camps in northern Minnesota and Canada.  

While Mr. Edelen may have started his teaching career in 2014, he is no stranger to the Zoo Academy.  As a keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo, Mr. E. spent 22 years working with students in the Children’s Zoo, Bird House, and Manatee Springs areas.  It was his passion for conservation and educating people about the threats facing our planet that led him from working in the zoo to teaching in the classroom. 

In 2001 and 2002 he was privileged to join with Oceanites Inc. to participate in penguin population studies in, and around, the Antarctic peninsula. In addition to working in the coldest place on the planet, he has also done fieldwork in Guam; helping to restore the endangered Guam Rail back to their native habitat. Mr. Edelen is also on the board of directors for Echobats Inc. a non-profit organization that educates the public on the importance of bats and the crucial role they play in our environment.

A Cincinnati native, Mr. E. enjoys cooking, karate, biking, and being a science nerd. He lives in Colerain Township with his wife, 2 sons, some Big Brown Bats, an African Grey Parrot, a Bearded Dragon, and Ripley the dog.

Tracy Greeley Howard began teaching in 2003 after moving to Cincinnati from Philadelphia, where she was a Zookeeper and a research scientist.  She holds two Master’s Degrees:  MAT in Biological Science from Miami University and MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati, with an Educational Leadership endorsement from Ohio Dominican.  Tracy is a Senior Professional Educator in Science and Career Technology with the Ohio Department of Education who has sat on several state-level subcommittee boards, and a Certified Lead Teacher with Cincinnati Public Schools who has written several district-wide content curriculums, served as a teacher evaluator, served on the Local Professional Development Committee, and served as Program Facilitator for several CPS programs.

She has received the Teacher of the Year award from the Cincinnatus Woodward Trust and has been a finalist for the Dr. Lawrence Hawkins Educator of the Year Award on several occasions. She has helped new and experienced teachers since 2007 as an ODE Resident Educator Mentor. Tracy has represented CPS while presenting at over two dozen local, regional and national conferences, and also represented the University of Arizona and NASA by presenting about the scientific mission of the Mars Phoenix Lander at the national level. She has been awarded over $100,000 in local and national grants to enhance her science teaching in her classroom, as well as help her start the Biotechnology program which is now used in several Cincinnati area school districts. Tracy is also working to enhance the programs offered at Cincinnati Public School’s Zoo Academy through agreements with local universities which will benefit students after graduation, and throughout their lives.

Mrs. Frisa has been a teacher for 41 years, but has been with the ZA for 4 years.  She has had a variety of teaching experience all the way from Kindergarten - 12th Grade.  She has also taught General Education, Special Education, and Gifted Education.  Mrs. Frisa started her teaching career in Kentucky and transferred to Cincinnati Public Schools in 1994.  In-between these teaching assignments, Mrs. Frisa taught for a year in San Pedro Sula, Honduras as a volunteer. This was a whole other experience that helped to broaden Mrs. Frisa’s view of the world. Mrs. Frisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Cumberland College and Masters’ Degree in Gifted Education from Northern Kentucky University.  She holds the following teaching licenses:  General Education 1 - 8; Special Education k-12; and Gifted Education K-12. She has been included in the Nation Who’s Who of American Teachers three times based on nominations from former students. At the present time,  Mrs. Frisa is the Intervention Specialist at the ZA and assists students that are struggling in all courses taught at the ZA.  She has always enjoyed learning about and being with animals and has been a nature lover for years.  She enjoys being at the ZA so that she can experience the things she loves with young people and assist young people with preparing to go out into the world and be successful.

When she is not teaching Ms. Frisa has many hobbies and interests.  She has recently become obsessed with identifying and photographing birds thanks to a bird feeder that takes photos (from her husband) and Mr. E’s obsession with birds.  She loves to travel to various places.  Her favorite place so far has been Utah’s Big 5 National Parks.  She loves hiking, especially out West.  She has learned to paint with acrylics in the past 6 years and finds this very relaxing.  She spends time reading historical fiction and gardening.  Her favorite past-time is doing things with her family.