About Our Tutors

Lizzie, a native of Memphis, is a 2003 graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of the South. Lizzie found her passion for teaching in 2009 when a family friend needed a math tutor for her daughter, and she has been teaching and tutoring non-stop ever since. Lizzie began teaching Science at Memphis University School while also maintaining a full tutoring schedule in October of 2009. After seeing a gap in the services that are provided for students and watching some of her own students continue to struggle even after seeking help from tutors, after four years Lizzie decided to leave the classroom days behind and go back to focusing completely on creating the most comprehensive concierge tutoring service available in the Mid-South. Lizzie specializes in Math, Science, ACT/SAT/GRE/GMAT, as well as study, test taking, and organizational skills for all students ranging from elementary to college level academic courses.

Dr. Spencer Reese earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Tennessee in 1999 and then attended the University of Memphis to earn a Masters in English in 2001. In 2005, he was selected to the Renaissance Research Team at Exeter University, England, for a research project on Renaissance allegorical literature as fairy tales. In 2012, Dr. Reese earned an M.Litt. in Theology from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and continuing his research in Scotland, he received his doctoral degree in Literature and Theology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 2021.
Dr. Reese began his teaching career at Lausanne Collegiate School where spent eight years before returning to his alma mater, Memphis University School, where he taught for thirteen years of teaching. He was the Head of the English Department and ultimately the Head of Upper School at Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, Fl. Currently, Dr. Reese serves as Dean of Students at Tulsa Classical Academy in Tulsa, OK, where he and his family now live.

Dr. Patti Ray has an extensive background in public and private education, ranging from a secondary classroom teacher, a school administrator at Germantown High School, Cordova High School and St. Mary’s Episcopal School for Girls, to an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at Union University and for the Memphis Teacher Residency Program (MTR). She is also a devoted researcher of how the brain learns, and has offered related presentations at local, state, and national conferences.

A native Memphian, Sarah Phifer teaches English at Saint Agnes Academy, her alma mater, where she works with the same instructors that helped foster her appreciation both for literature and for teaching. Though she teaches British Literature and Freshmen English at Saint Agnes, she taught post-Civil War American Literature and Freshmen Composition during her graduate studies at the University of Mississippi, where she focused on 20th Century and contemporary American Southern Literature. She received her undergraduate degree from The University of the South: Sewanee.

Dr. D.J. Hobbs is a native Memphian. He received a Bachelor's degree in Religion & Philosophy and English from Christian Brothers University, a Master's in Philosophy from the University of Memphis, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Marquette University. His first book, Towards a Phenomenology of Values: Investigations of Worth, was published by Routledge in 2021. He has taught courses in philosophy at the university level as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Marquette as well as at Silver Lake College of the Holy Family in Manitowoc, WI. He tutors widely in the humanities, including in history, religious studies, and English literature.

Laurence holds an MA (Hons) from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) in Latin and Classical Studies and an MA in History of Art with a specialism in Late Antique and Byzantine art from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She also holds a PGCE (a postgraduate certificate in education) specialising in Latin teaching from King's College London. Laurence has taught in both the US (at St. Mary's in Memphis) and in the UK (at schools in Oxford and the greater London area) for many years. She is also a university admissions specialist with experience in helping students make successful applications to universities in the UK, US, Canada and Europe.

Julie graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1986, earning a B.S. in Secondary Education with concentrations in Math and Psychology. In 1989, she received her J.D. degree at the University of Alabama School of Law. She moved to Memphis in 1989 and began practicing law. Through the years, as she raised her family with her husband Clay, Julie has alternated her time practicing law, teaching math, and tutoring. In 1997, she began teaching math and Algebra at Maria Montessori School, in the heart of the Harbor Town community, where she taught for five years. Julie has been tutoring independently for the last five years. She loves making math and Algebra fun for her students, and she appreciates the one-on-one interaction that tutoring provides. Additionally, Julie’s years of experience with legal writing give her a unique perspective and an ability to help students write in a clear and concise manner.

Lorraine Gagliano holds a B.A. in Classical Languages and Classical Studies from Vanderbilt University, an M.A. in Latin from the University of Michigan, and two additional M.A. degrees in Classical Archaeology from both the University of Michigan and Florida State University. She studied Latin and Classics at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, as well as Latin intensively with Fr. Reginald Foster, former Latinist for Pope John Paul II. Lorraine excavated for several summers in the Mediterranean, including at Pompeii, Ostia, and the Athenian Agora. She taught Latin and Classics at the middle school and high school levels at Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, TN), as well as at the university level at the University of Michigan, Florida State University, and the University of Memphis. Lorraine has tutored Latin students of all levels from a number of local schools and is familiar with a wide variety of Latin textbooks, including those used at St. Mary's and MUS.

Florence Mullins has a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Hendrix College, a Masters in Science in Physics from the University of Memphis, and another Masters in Science in Medical Physics from LSU. She began tutoring as a peer tutor in Calculus and Physics as an undergraduate student at Hendrix. She continued to tutor undergraduate students in physics while obtaining her graduate degrees. At University of Memphis, she was a graduate student instructor of record from 1992-1996. From 1996 to 1998, she was a substitute teacher in Calculus and Physics for Memphis City Schools as well as for the Shelby County School system. For the four years prior to joining No Limits, Florence has been tutoring high school and college Physics and Math courses for another local tutoring service.