In February of 2023, Dr. Merilee Mardon was introduced as the new Deputy Head of School, succeeding former Interim Deputy Head of School Raj Mundra. Now, as Fall Term approaches its midpoint, Mardon hoped to share more about what her role entails and her priorities as the Deputy Head of School.
Mardon previously served as Associate Head of School and Dean of Faculty at Hotchkiss School, where she managed multiple teams responsible for campus life, athletics, and health and wellness services. Her responsibilities at Hotchkiss included faculty evaluations, recruitment, and ensuring equity in faculty assignments.
While her new job at Andover shared similar tasks with her previous school, Mardon’s new role at Andover has its differences. Noting her involvement in both student and administrative work, Mardon described the tasks delegated to her position.
“My primary responsibility is to oversee the work of all of student life. So that includes academics, that includes Dean of Faculty work, overseeing the faculty, and then the Dean of Studies. You have [the] Deans who are responsible for specific tasks, but it’s my job to help coordinate the work of those offices, as well as wellness, Dr. Patel is also part of my team. I work really closely, obviously, with the Head of School because I’m here to help support his work so that he’s better able to attend to his responsibilities as Head of School,” said Mardon.
According to Mardon, in comparison to the Head of School, the Deputy Head of School manages more of the internal affairs of Andover. Specifically, Mardon commented on the importance of staying connected with both students and faculty.
“I need to know about students. Because if my job is focused on student life, not just [residential life] or co-curriculars, but the entirety of the student experience… Part of my job is also taking care of the adults who take care of the students. So I think it’s more than just [students]… It’s just such a beautiful and complicated community… There isn’t a student voice. There are a lot of students and a lot of different experiences. So I’m trying to tease those out over time,” said Mardon.
While Mardon showed excitement for her new role, she also acknowledged her unfamiliarity with Andover and its culture. Mardon’s first goal is to immerse herself in the community.
“I was at a different school for a long time, and this isn’t that school. So there are habits I need to unlearn, I need to understand the culture here. I need to get to know the students…and then I need to, as I learn, figure out how can I be most helpful to this community,” said Mardon.
Paul Murphy ’84, Instructor in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, expressed his optimism about Mardon’s role as Deputy Head of School. Murphy discussed how Mardon’s prior experience at Hotchkiss could positively impact Andover.
“[Mardon is] great. She seems to have a good background from Hotchkiss. She’s got a welcoming demeanor, which I think is really helpful for students and for faculty. She brings a fresh perspective, which is really nice and something that we probably need,” said Murphy
Furthermore, prior to her administrative roles, Mardon taught Economics and Gender and Women’s Studies at Connecticut College before joining Hotchkiss in 2008. Bringing her love of teaching to Andover, Mardon also serves as an Instructor in History and Social Science. Christian Gomez ’24, a student in Mardon’s History-501 (Economics I: Microeconomics and the Developing World) class, highlighted her enthusiasm in the classroom.
“I enjoy her class because despite it being [at] 8:30 in the morning, she always has a bright smile on her face. I realized that I actually stay engaged in her classes even when she is doing a lecture. Dr. Mardon is a very kind and energetic person, which I think is great for a history teacher… She manages to put a smile on your face while teaching you about economics, which I think tells you a lot about her character,” said Gomez.
