Jennifer Chidsey Named President, Chief Academic Officer of Ross Institute

Photo credit: Wil Weiss

Ross Institute in East Hampton recently announced that Jennifer L. Chidsey has been named President of Ross Institute and Chief Academic Officer of Ross School and Institute.

Chidsey, who has held key leadership positions at Ross Institute and Ross School since 2000, will oversee the organization and its continued development of the Ross Learning System (RLS), professional development for educators, innovative educational programming, and development of a deeper focus on sustainability throughout the curriculum and institution.

“Jennifer has been instrumental in establishing Ross as a leader in education curriculum and practices that incorporate unique programs, multiple disciplines and global experiences,” Courtney Sale Ross, Founder of Ross School and Ross Institute said. “Her leadership will help enable Ross to continue to innovate and offer the best global education possible to prepare our children for the future.”

Chidsey previously assisted in developing RLS, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum for grades PK-12.

In addition, recent innovations she is involved with include: a new RLS Sustainability Thread to help prepare students to address the social and environmental realities they face; the Ross Spiral Interactive, an intricate infographic that visualizes the Ross curriculum; and RLS Project Circles, an interactive tool that enables students to assess the sustainability of a specific location or environment.

All three are available online for free to students and teachers worldwide.

“I work with an extraordinary team of experts and educators, and it is my privilege to be part of delivering a global curriculum and experience to enable students and their teachers to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world,” Chidsey said.

She joined Ross School in 2000 as the Dean of Science where until 2006, she worked on curriculum development, taught courses, and coordinated faculty.

During this time, she was asked to join the Leadership Team at Ross School, overseeing the day-to-day operations and participating collaboratively in Head of School functions.

Later, as Director of Education and Outreach for Ross Institute, she served on the boards of Ross School and Ross Global Academy.

Chidsey returned to Ross in August 2010 as Chief Academic Officer of the Institute, and then assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2011, and Chief Education officer in 2013.

Congratulations to Jennifer Chidsey!