Mission and Vision

My objective is to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to reach their full potential in their chemistry courses. I focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and quantitative literacy skills that instill within my students greater agency, confidence, and grit. Those skills, and the fortitude that results from them, continue to serve my students well beyond their chemistry studies.

A Word of Welcome

I operate from an important and fundamental conviction that everyone is a scientist, and science is for everyone. Throughout my career, I have endeavored to dispel misconceptions of who is and who can be a scientist, and I have worked to improve science education for underserved groups of students. My tutoring sessions are a safe space for people of all backgrounds, creeds, and identities.

- Noel M. Ellis, PhD

High School and College Chemistry Tutoring

  • Tutoring for a student's first chemistry course in high school or college.

    General Chemistry

    For many students, the challenge of chemistry arises from the integration of conceptual knowledge with quantitative skills. Every student, however, is an individual, and for this reason I not only guide students step by step through the ideas and the math of chemistry, but also create lessons and practice problems that address the specific areas where each student has room for growth.

  • Tutoring for high school students enrolled in AP Chemistry

    AP Chemistry

    AP Chemistry is one of the most rigorous and valuable courses offered at the high school level. To help students keep up with the workload, I offer regular tutoring during the school year. I also offer a summer tutoring program that will allow future AP Chemistry students to hit the ground running when they begin their course in the fall.

  • Tutoring for high school and college students taking organic chemistry

    Organic Chemistry

    Organic chemistry is equal parts fascinating and demanding. For both high school and college students who are struggling to master this subject, I can help. I have a doctoral degree in “orgo”, and a wealth of experience teaching it. I offer routine tutoring during the school year, or would be happy to fashion a summer program for anyone looking to get a leg up before the school year begins.

Tutor, Teacher, and Former Pharmaceutical Regulator

I have been a chemist and a teacher since 2004, but the truth is that my earliest exposures to chemistry left me feeling ambivalent. It wasn’t until my sophomore year at UC Santa Barbara that a truly amazing professor sparked within me a deep and abiding curiosity about the behavior of atoms and molecules. To understand how these tiny entities shape everything around us became an obsession that persisted throughout my time at UCSB, and later while earning my doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania.

I'm currently a faculty member at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, CA, but my career as an educator began at a tutoring organization on the campus of UCSB. That experience was in many ways the driving force that drew me back to teaching after a post-doctoral stint as a regulatory chemist with the FDA. Helping students to see the world through the beautiful lens that is science has been one of the most joyful and fulfilling aspects of my career. I pride myself on my ability to create a truly personalized tutoring curriculum for each student - I meet them where they are, help them to identify the areas where they can grow, and we build from there.

Teaching Experience and Qualifications

  • 2019-present: Science Teacher at Pacific Ridge School, Carlsbad, CA

  • 2021-2022: Independent Tutoring for AP Chemistry

  • 2018-2019: Science Teacher at Hiawatha Collegiate High School, Minneapolis, MN 

  • 2014-2018: Chair of the Science Department (2016-2018) and Science Teacher at Barrie School, Silver Spring, MD

  • 2009: Doctorate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

  • 2004-2009: Independent Tutoring of Pre-Medicine Post-Bacc students, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

  • 2004-2006: Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

  • 2003-2004: Instructor at Campus Learning Assistance Services, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

  • 2003: Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

Honors and Awards

  • 2005: Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, University of Pennsylvania

  • 2005: Douty Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania

  • 2004: Ahmed Zewail Graduate Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania

  • 2003: Willard L. McRary Prize for Academic Excellence, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • 2002: Outstanding Organic Chemist Award, University of California, Santa Barbara


My full resume and references are available upon request.

Testimonials

“I earned an A in the class. I am so thankful for everything Dr. Ellis helped me achieve and the guidance I gained from him along the way.”

- AP Chemistry student

“Noel provided high quality tutoring services with clear results. He was consistently patient, thoughtful, prepared and accessible… he provided a realistic roadmap to help my daughter gain confidence, learn and do well.”

- Parent of an AP Chem student

“It was a life saver. I started off questioning if I could be successful, but as soon as I started tutoring with Dr. Ellis I felt more at ease. He took the time to make a plan for me each tutoring session. Everything he did was catered to the materials we used, my professor's teaching style, etc. With his help I was able to have a much better understanding, quickly at that.”

- Organic Chemistry Student

Tutoring Rates

I’m happy to offer both individual and group tutoring in the San Diego area.

My commitment to you is that the entirety of the tutoring session will be value added. I prep homework solutions ahead of time, create a lesson plan if called for, and follow up as needed, all at no extra charge.

Group rates vary according to the size of the group.

Please contact me to learn more about my tutoring rates, and about the logistics of group tutoring sessions.

Get in Touch