This year, Concord Academy welcomes Robert Munro, the new Dean of Academic Program and Equity. Laura Twitchell ’01, who served as the interim Academic Dean during the 2019-2020 school year, will return to her position as Director of Community and Equity as she passes the mantle to him.
Robert promises to ensure the “safety and well-being of everyone,” especially during these difficult times.
Robert was born in Boston and raised just outside of the city. He attended Bates College for his undergraduate education, and then went to Michigan State to get a Ph.D. in philosophy and African American studies. He then went on to work at Middlesex Academy as a history teacher in global studies, and also coached tennis and varsity squash.
Because he worked at a facility so close to Concord Academy, Robert already knew about the community and befriended faculty well before he officially began working here. “The people of the great community at Concord Academy,” were the thing that attracted him most to our campus. He was eager to become a part of it whenever the opportunity arose; as such, when there was a job opening, Robert was more than happy to pursue it. Robert fully understands the tasks that lie ahead, and is ready to help the community in these difficult times.
Robert says that “rethinking academics” is at “the forefront” of this situation, and he hopes that we can apply the changes we make during this time to Concord Academy in the future. He is aware that online classrooms can be tricky, but he sees a great “opportunity to innovate.” In embracing this spirit of innovation, we can look back at this time and say that “we did some cool stuff.” He also believes that this is an opportunity for “students and faculty to be creative” about their education, and emphasizes that we should support each other.
Robert also wants to reassure the incoming freshman class and let them know that they should not feel left out. “In a way, we are all gonna be freshmen this coming fall,” he says. This is new for everyone at Concord Academy, so we should “fully support one another” and not bring each other down. He wants everyone to be “interacting with one another,” and “jumping in together,” so no one’s left behind. In addition, Robert wants everyone to “be flexible” and to “work together” to ensure that everyone has a great start to the academic year.