At a recent assembly, Head of School Kathy Giles—with a special assist from Trustee Will Danoff P’17 ’19 —presented endowed chairs to three distinguished faculty members:
The Zak Family Chair in Physical Science was established in 2008 by Mike and Roxanne Zak, parents or Mariana Zak of the Class of 2008, to encourage our female faculty members in mathematics or science to continue to pursue their own development as students and teachers in these fields. The Zaks wanted to make additional professional development opportunities available, and they also wanted to make sure that the chair rotates every seven years, particularly to encourage young teachers at important times during their professional lives. Mariana herself was a strong student in these fields and has recently become a civil engineer working with a firm that is working with the School on the upcoming theater and visual arts renovations.
This chair has been previously held by Natalie Martinez, and it is my pleasure today to honor a teacher who has stretched herself throughout our curriculum and throughout the School. When she came to Middlesex in 2004, this faculty member lived in Peabody, taught physics, and coached crew; twelve years later, she still teaches physics, but has developed an astronomy program as well; can coach crew but has become the Head coach of girls’ cross-country; is now the Head of Estabrook House and has been an important faculty liaison for the GSA; and she also now has a wonderful family. That’s a lot of achievement in the past decade!
We are delighted to award the Zak Chair in Physical Science to Sara Kate May.
The Charles W. Locke Chair in Classics was established in 2000 in memory of Charles W. Locke, member of the faculty from 1918 to 1959, by gifts from his daughter, Susan W. Smith and his grandson George E. Senkler II ‘52. Supplemented by gifts from Henry H. Hilton III ‘47 and from Prescott B. and Joan Knapp Crocker, parents of Nicholas B. Crocker ‘00 and Elizabeth M. Crocker ’04 – former students and parents grateful for Mr. Locke’s work.
This chair has been previously held by Alex Banay, whom many of you will remember fondly (for our new students and faculty members, Mrs. Banay retired last year after an almost 40 year career at Middlesex). Is it my pleasure today to honor a teacher who brings a wealth of knowledge as well as great passion to his work in Latin and Greek and indeed, to his work throughout the School. Although he has only been with us since 2013, this teacher’s thoughtful influence and eloquence are felt throughout campus as he coaches cross-country and wrestling and has become the Head of the Classics Department, teaching at every level in Latin and Greek.
We are delighted to award the Locke Chair in Classics to Dan Barber.
Mrs. Giles then invited to the podium Will Danoff P’17 ’19, who introduced the Kathleen Carroll Giles Chair in the Humanities. Established in 2016 by a gift from Will and Ami Danoff, parents of Amelia Danoff ’17 and Andrew Danoff ’19, the chair is awarded to a faculty member in English, languages or the arts, and is in honor of the fifth Head of School, Kathy Giles. Speaking on behalf of his family and the Middlesex community, Will Danoff expressed the School’s deep appreciation for Mrs. Giles, who has led Middlesex for over 13 years with superlative energy, vision, and integrity:
We are so blessed to have had Kathy as our Head of School for the past thirteen years. Kathy is a leader of exceptional integrity, keen intelligence, and abundant energy. Kathy has steered Middlesex through the Mx2 capital campaign, raising more than $200 million. She has expanded the financial aid program. She has built Landry House and renovated the other dorms. During Kathy’s tenure, Middlesex has strengthened our academic outcomes, introduced mindfulness, Mandarin and other improvements to the curriculum, and passed its ten year independent school accreditation with flying colors. Kathy takes joy in seeing the many meaningful accomplishments of the students and the faculty here. She sweats the details and intricacies which have to come together to make the successful and smoothly functioning school which is Middlesex. Kathy, like all great leaders, has worked incredibly hard and inspired many others with her example, to support and strengthen Middlesex.
Ami and I are thrilled to be able to recognize and thank Kathy and all of the faculty with this gift to Middlesex in Kathy’s honor.
Following Mr. Danoff’s remarks, Mrs. Giles returned to the podium for the awarding of this newly established chair:
Obviously this is a very special event for me; I feel that it is an honor and a privilege to work with my colleagues here, who are as expert, as generous, and as kind a group of people as one could ever hope to learn from and live with. I could not be more grateful to the Danoffs for honoring Middlesex and the work of our faculty in this way.
It is with real pleasure that we award this new chair to one of my colleagues in the English Department. Since she joined the Middlesex faculty in 2006, this colleague has been nothing short of inspirational in our students’ lives and has been a terrific colleague who is always interested in ways to do things better. The energy and passion with which she teaches across the English program are extraordinary, and she brings that same great spirit to her coaching, even in the coldest and iciest of conditions on the slopes. She writes novels and has myriad interests and weaves her great family into her life as Head of Hallowell House. I teach in her classroom this year, and I can only hope that some of her magic will rub off on me.
We are delighted to award the Giles Chair in the Humanities to Jecca Hutcheson.