Mr. Merlis grew up on Long Island, attending Great Neck Public Schools and then the University at Albany where he majored in Mathematics and minored in Computer Science. He stayed at Albany for his Masters in Secondary Education.

He taught Algebra, Introduction to Java, C++, Web Design, and the JAVA AP course at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School in Burnt Hills, New York from 2005 through 2009 with the hope that his students realize the inherent satisfaction that comes with working hard and achieving success. It is within all of our reach.

He enjoys running and has completed several marathons and ultramarathons. He founded the Albany Running Exchange while in college, a club that now has five hundred members of all ages and abilities who are setting goals and attaining them. He is also grateful for the opportunity to teach dance as part of the Continuing Adult Education program.

In the summer of 2006, Mr. Merlis and a friend purchased a 30 day Greyhound bus ticket with the intentions of seeing America. With nothing more than a backpack, they traveled nearly 10,000 miles around the country. The story was published in the August 2006 issue of Adirondack Sports and Fitness Magazine. In the summer of 2007, he returned westward, flying to Denver and driving 6200 miles around the west, along the way running across the Grand Canyon, touching the top of Mt. Whitney, and visiting fourteen National Parks. If you ever have the opportunity to travel, take it - this is a beautiful country with plenty to offer.

In January of 2008, Mr. Merlis created an event and logistics company called ARE Event Productions. The company provides management and automated timing services for running races as well as web design from simple sites to database-driven applications. In the summer of 2009, he resigned from his teaching position to pursue the growth of this company full-time. He is thankful for his experiences at Burnt Hills and looks forward to continued involvement with his former students and colleagues at the school.