Our Leadership
Spend your next few years studying at a center of intensive scholarship and taking advantage of our multidimensional academic experience.
Becky Gray
YIS Principal
It is my privilege to welcome you to Yogyakarta Independent School (YIS), a warm and dynamic community where every student is known, supported, and encouraged to discover their best self. At YIS, learning is not just about academic achievement; it is about curiosity, kindness, and the confidence to make a positive difference in the world.
As an IB World School, we are committed to developing inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people. We do this through a balance of academic rigour, creativity, personal growth, and an appreciation for different perspectives. Our students learn to think critically, act with integrity, and value the diversity of the world around them.
Our success is built on the dedication of our people. We are fortunate to have a team of highly qualified and passionate teachers who inspire learning every day, supported by our committed office staff, housekeeping team, groundskeepers, and security personnel. Together, they ensure that YIS is not only a place of academic excellence, but also a safe, well-cared-for, and happy environment where everyone can thrive.
I am passionate about creating an environment where learning feels engaging, challenging, and joyful. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, in the arts, or out in our beautiful gardens, every experience is an opportunity to grow. At YIS, we encourage students to aim high, embrace challenges, and support one another in achieving their goals.
Yogyakarta is a special place, and YIS reflects that by blending our international outlook with the warmth and spirit of our local community. I look forward to meeting you, showing you our school in action, and welcoming you into the YIS family.
Senior Staff
Contacts:
Harriet Erickson
Student Affairs
Wesley Clark was named Senior Advisor to the President in May 2018. An expert in corporate law, he teaches a wide range of courses including Contracts, Sales, Closely Held Business Organizations, Publicly Traded Corporations, Mergers & Acquisitions, International Law and International Securities Regulation.
Contacts:
Wesley Clarke
Senior Advisor to the Principal
Betty Bowman joined the faculty in 2002, and received tenure there in 2007. Before joining the faculty, she was a visiting assistant professor at Syracuse University College of Law. Prior to that, she was a legal consultant with JPMorgan Chase; a contract attorney for Cravath, Swaine & Moore; and an assistant prosecutor for the Ministry of the Attorney General in Toronto, Canada.
Contacts:
Betty Bowman
VP Finance
With over four decades of law teaching experience, Johnny Jones is a nationally-recognized constitutionalist who has received numerous awards for his teaching, including the first-ever Pioneer Award for his commitment and dedication to students from the FIU Student Bar Association in 2004. Since then, students have voted him “Professor of the Year” multiple times.
Contacts:
Johnny Jones
Math Teacher
Dennis Ruiz was a member of the faculty at Texas Tech University School of Law, where she held the Alvin R. Allison Distinguished Professorship and received every teaching award the law school and the University conferred. She was the Distinguished Fulbright Professor of American Constitutional Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Greece in 1992.
Contacts:
Dennis Ruiz
Spanish Teacher
Vernon Lowe first joined the University in 2006 as Assistant Dean for Academic Support Programs. He served as Assistant Dean until 2013, when he became a full time lecturer at the College. He teaches classes relating to legal theory and reasoning, race and law, gender and law, and in the area of commercial transactions.
Contacts:
Vernon Lowe
IT Teacher
Contacts:
Harriet Erickson
Vice President, Student Affairs
Wesley Clark was named Senior Advisor to the President in May 2018. An expert in corporate law, he teaches a wide range of courses including Contracts, Sales, Closely Held Business Organizations, Publicly Traded Corporations, Mergers & Acquisitions, International Law and International Securities Regulation.
Contacts:
Wesley Clarke
Senior Advisor to the President
Betty Bowman joined the faculty in 2002, and received tenure there in 2007. Before joining the faculty, she was a visiting assistant professor at Syracuse University College of Law. Prior to that, she was a legal consultant with JPMorgan Chase; a contract attorney for Cravath, Swaine & Moore; and an assistant prosecutor for the Ministry of the Attorney General in Toronto, Canada.
Contacts:
Betty Bowman
Acting Vice President for Finance
With over four decades of law teaching experience, Johnny Jones is a nationally-recognized constitutionalist who has received numerous awards for his teaching, including the first-ever Pioneer Award for his commitment and dedication to students from the FIU Student Bar Association in 2004. Since then, students have voted him “Professor of the Year” multiple times.
Contacts:
Johnny Jones
Dean, Diversity and Compliance
Dennis Ruiz was a member of the faculty at Texas Tech University School of Law, where she held the Alvin R. Allison Distinguished Professorship and received every teaching award the law school and the University conferred. She was the Distinguished Fulbright Professor of American Constitutional Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Greece in 1992.
Contacts:
Dennis Ruiz
Acting Vice President of Administration
Vernon Lowe first joined the University in 2006 as Assistant Dean for Academic Support Programs. He served as Assistant Dean until 2013, when he became a full time lecturer at the College. He teaches classes relating to legal theory and reasoning, race and law, gender and law, and in the area of commercial transactions.
Contacts:
Vernon Lowe
Assistant Vice President for Communications