Meet the Judges!

Alice Wrigglesworth is an Associate Professor of English at George Mason University Korea, where she teaches composition, writing for multilingual writers, and advanced composition. At Mason Korea, she is also the co-founder of the Mason Korea Research Writing Competition and Research Writing Workshop Series, which celebrate and support student writing. Her research spans writing and multilingual education, AI and learning, oral history, and peer feedback. She holds a Ph.D. in Education, an M.A. in Applied Linguistics, and an M.A. in Creative Writing.

Mackie wrote her first novel, Above, at 17-years-old. The next year, she signed with Joe Veltre of the Gersh Agency and Brillstein Entertainment partners as her management company. Above would later go on to be published by Carthay Circle Publishing Co. and secure a television deal. After writing two more novels, she returned to school to further her writing experience, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing at The New School in NYC, participating as a member of the Riggio Honors Program. In 2017, she attended the Cambridge University Summer Programme in the UK, where out of 2000 submissions, her piece alongside 11 others was chosen as a winner. Most recently, she earned her MFA in Fiction Writing at The New School. At the age of 33, Mackie is using her 17 years of professional experience in the writing business to finish her latest novel, Honeyman. 

After graduating from Binghamton University in 2009, Mr. Goldman quickly decided to spend their professional life as an educator. Over the last sixteen years, Mr. Goldman has been incredibly fortunate to do something he truly loves by working as a high school social studies teacher. Four years ago, Mr. Goldman was given the opportunity to take on a new challenge by teaching AP United States History, where they have been able to continue to learn and grow. Mr. Goldman hopes to continue teaching for many years to come and is excited to serve as a judge for this competition.

Maura is a teen librarian at the Bernards Township Library. Maura loves reading and going on Wikipedia deep-dives. She coordinates educational and community outreach events for local families and teenagers in the Bernards Township area.

Dr. Jonathan Kelly joined The Pingry School in 2022 as an Upper School English Teacher and became Upper School Librarian in July 2024. He thrives on working with students to foster a deeper appreciation for language and the power that it can provide us as individuals and as a society. Dr. Kelly received a bachelor's degree in History from Fairleigh Dickinson University and masters' degrees in Library Science and English, from Rutgers University and Arizona State University, respectively. In 2025, he earned a Doctor of Letters in Creative Writing at Drew University, where his dissertation passed with distinction. 

Matt has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in History from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has spent over 12 years teaching students competitive debate and argumentation at the highest level. Matt is also a member of the Texas Debate Collective, a non-profit dedicated to providing access to debate for low-income students.

Jill is an eighth grade language arts teacher at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey and adjuncts at Drew University. She’s currently a teacher leader and a former co-director for Drew University's National Writing Project, and continues to research with teachers nationally to create an authentic environment for writing and reading instruction rooted in a student's curiosity and driven by their life purpose. Most recently, her work was spotlighted for the 50th Anniversary of the NWP. She’s also the co-author of Inquiry Ignites Pushing Back Against Traditional Literacy Instruction in the edited collection, Acts of Resistance: Subversive Teaching in the ELA Classroom, and is currently working on a book with her former students. Her chapter, “What’s Old Is New Again” co-authored with Dr. Turner, was selected as the leading chapter published in Innovations in Digital Instruction Through Virtual Environments. An experienced educator with a natural enthusiasm for life, Jill is an ever-warm presence in the classroom with a knack for getting the very most out of people.

Christian is a 2015 graduate of Boston College, where he played Division 1 Soccer and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. He has previous work experience in the advertising industry as a copywriter and brand strategist at award-winning agency, Anomaly in NYC. He later worked as an editor and journalist for Eight by Eight, a prestigious large-format print magazine and creative agency dedicated entirely to the culture, art, and narratives of global soccer. Alongside some of the most acclaimed and respected voices in global football journalism, such as Jonathan Wilson (author of Inverting the Pyramid), prominent German football expert Raphael Honigstein, and Simon Kuper (Soccernomics), Eight by Eight’s elite reporting and aggressive design earned itself huge respect in a fertile American market. A fervent fan of creative writing, Christian is currently querying his second novel, MoonPies at the End of the World, to agents.

Ms. Lisa Longo Johnston is a teacher at the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, NJ. She teaches World History 9 and AP U.S. History. She joined Pingry as an Upper School English Teacher in 2020 and switched to history in 2024. Prior to Pingry, she was the Assistant Dean for Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences as well as an adjunct professor at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In addition to teaching at several other colleges, Ms. Johnston also worked at Mount Saint Mary Academy, where she held faculty roles and also served as Director of Communications.

Dr. Longo is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Pingry School. She also teaches Literature of the Common Good. Prior to joining the Upper School English Department, Dr. Longo taught across disciplines in English, history, and language programs at the secondary and college levels. In addition to serving as a founding faculty member at Trinity Hall in Monmouth County, she led faculty development programs and taught at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg and Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She has been the recipient of multiple humanities research grants, served as a fellow at the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute and Samford University Summer Faculty Fellowship, and has published and presented papers in her specialty field of Medieval Studies.