Mr. Hulpach is a Physical Geography Teaching Fellow at BASIS Independent Bothell. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences from Princeton University and a Master of Science in Applied and Computational Mathematics from the University of Washington.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‍​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‍​‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌

A graduate of a BASIS school himself, Mr. Hulpach was drawn to BASIS Independent by the enthusiasm students bring to the classroom and the opportunity to build the same strong student-teacher relationships that once helped him thrive.

His goal is for students to become deeply curious about the invisible processes that shape our planet. “I believe in inspiring confidence above all,” he says. “When your students leave the classroom confident in their knowledge, their skills, their values—when they know they can accomplish their goals all by themselves—that's when you know you've done a job well done.”

He encourages a discussion-based classroom where students can build off each other's ideas. One of his favorite lessons involves demonstrating the unusual properties of the Earth’s mantle using oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid that both flows and fractures. “You can dip your fingers slowly through oobleck,” he explains, “but when you hit it with a hammer, it causes the hammer to rebound. It also causes uproarious laughter among students.”

Outside the classroom, Mr. Hulpach enjoys playing tennis, writing songs, and designing board games.