MEET LIZ VINOGRADOV

At the center of a large, extended family, Liz also is the proud parent--along with husband Alex, pastor of St. Gregory Church in Wappingers Falls--of three PDS graduates (Philip '88, Nadia '89 and Peter '91, who also heads up the PDS foreign language department and is married to PDS science department chair Tanya Vinogradov). And she is a (very youthful) grandmother, whose granddaughter, Mia, will be a member of the PDS pre-kindergarten in September.

But anybody who really knows Liz will tell you with a smile that, no matter what role she may be playing at a particular time, Liz is "in charge." Indeed, she is more than just steady or grounded; Liz Vinogradov is someone whose thoughtful and gentle leadership is proven. Ask students or teachers or staff and they well say that you can always count on her.

Since then Liz has been a highly respected teacher of French, Russian and history in the upper school, serving also as chair of the upper school's history department. The history thesis, which was instituted by the late, beloved history teacher, Robert Finkelstein in the 1980's, came to signify, under Liz's leadership, an important rite of passage for students in the high school. She also has provided strong stewardship of the school's unique community service and senior internship programs. And since 1995 Liz has been the co-head of the upper school with veteran English teacher Don Fried.

In February of 2005, following an exhaustive national search for a sole upper school head, Liz was selected for the job. At that time, head of school Mary Jane Yurchak said Liz was tapped because "she knows from firsthand experience the complexities of our upper school and has a vision for its future."

Liz received a Bachelor of Education degree from McGill University in 1969. This degree combines a four-year undergraduate program in liberal arts, including a dual major in history and French, with the equivalent of a full masters program in education. Prior to moving to the United States in 1978, she taught in Canada.

Although she has been involved in the world of education her entire life, being named head of the upper school and then acting head of school (as of April 2005) were unanticipated events for the always unassuming Liz, who had been on sabbatical leave this past academic year. She will serve as acting head through the end of the 2005-2006 academic year, replacing Mary Jane, who stepped down after fours years at the helm of PDS in order to pursue other personal and professional interests.

PDS will conduct a national search to find a permanent head of school, who is expected to be on board in September of 2006. In the meantime, the upper school will continue to be led this year by co-heads Don Fried and Mike Foley, with Liz taking over the reins of the division the following fall.