ISS Appoints Next Director

Indian Springs School is pleased to announce that Sharon Louise Howell, Ph.D., will serve as Indian Springs’ sixth Director, effective July 1, 2016. The ISS Board of Directors voted unanimously in late December to appoint Howell to the position following an extensive, five-month national search that included input from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, Board members, and friends of the school.

Howell, who is currently the Associate Head of School at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill, Mass., will succeed Gareth Vaughan, who announced in August that he had decided to conclude his tenure in June 2016 at the close of his eighth year as Director. Howell will be the first woman to lead Indian Springs.

Before joining NMH in 2014, Howell spent 15 years at Harvard University studying, teaching history and literature, and being resident dean of a Harvard College house. In her final three years she served as senior resident dean, was an elected member of the faculty council, served on the academic integrity committee, and helped to develop a Harvard edX online course called Poetry in America X. She has a B.A. from Connecticut College, an M.A. from Villanova University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Passionate about empowering young people to find the courage to know themselves honestly, listen to one another respectfully, and collaborate generously, Howell made the transition from Harvard to independent high schools with the goal of helping students expand their understanding of educational excellence during their transformative teenage years.

During her time at NMH she has been responsible for developing the school’s 2015-20 strategic plan, directing the process for designing and building a $33 million new Integrative Science and Math center and academic hub, leading interdisciplinary curricular innovation in science and math, and launching initiatives in social entrepreneurship and learning through action. She is currently leading a broad-based implementation of the strategic plan—with focus on academic innovation, advising, health and wellness, and equity and access—involving more than 150 members of the NMH community, from students to trustees.

In addition, Howell has produced a poetry podcast called ramblebarrow (2011-12), published a book of poetry called Girl in Everytime (Pressed Wafer Press, 2011), and partnered with her husband, Tom, on international service projects to help primary schools in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Namibia (2011-14). She served on the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation committee for the Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, Conn.) in April 2015 and on the Economic Development Board for NMH's region, Franklin County, Mass. She and Tom, a sculptor, have two children: Ethan, 13, and Maggie, 10.

“Indian Springs is clearly a special place,” says Howell. “I am honored beyond measure to be entrusted with leading this extraordinary school into its next era and helping ensure that it grows and thrives in accord with its inspiring mission. The students, faculty, staff, parents, and Board members I met during my visits show a profound devotion to the school, but also to the boundless potential inherent in empowering students truly to know themselves, each other, and the world. I could not be more impressed, more ready to start our work together, or more eager to join this warm community with my family."

Indian Springs’ national search was assisted by Wickenden Associates of Princeton, N.J., and led by a 16-member Search Committee that included alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and Board members. Hundreds of other ISS community members, including current students, also provided important input by participating in a community-wide survey, semifinalist tours, finalist week meetings, and a finalist survey.

“Dr. Howell rose to the top of our extremely competitive candidate pool because of her singular skill set: infectious optimism, deep concern about social justice, passion for collaborating, formidable intellect, ability to engage and inspire, and commitment to transparency and forward thinking,” says Libby Pantazis, Chairman of the Board and Head of School Search Committee. “Her approach to learning and teaching aligns in every way with Springs’ distinctive mission. As she builds on the strong legacy that Gareth Vaughan and previous directors have nurtured and safeguarded, I believe that she will hold us to the highest possible standards, guiding us as we explore new partnerships and continuing our commitment to education that transforms.”