CHAPIN'S SEVENTH HEAD OF SCHOOL 

A life-long educator dedicated to creating innovative programs and collaborations while fostering academic excellence, Suzanne Fogarty was appointed the 7th Head of The Chapin School in July 2020.

Ms. Fogarty began her career in New York City independent schools, purposefully gaining instructional experience in all three divisions. She previously served as Head of School for Lincoln School, an independent Quaker school for girls in Rhode Island. She was also Head of Upper School at Berkeley Carroll School, a coed independent PreK-12 school in Brooklyn, New York. 

Having joined Chapin in the final phase of a successful building expansion, Ms. Fogarty leads the School’s forward-focused work to elevate our extraordinary facilities through new and enriched academic programs, integrating athletics, wellness, arts and other curricula with Chapin’s broader educational mission. Chapin continues to be a landmark for excellence and innovation, hosting prominent events around mathematics, debate, model congress and more. 

Building on the work of her talented colleagues, Ms. Fogarty has prioritized cultivating partnerships across disciplines, rooted in the belief that learning is augmented by diverse experiences. Chapin’s growing partnerships include many distinguished institutions which include Yale School of Public Health, the Hospital of Special Surgery and the Cooper Union School of Architecture.

Ms. Fogarty has grown Chapin’s outstanding Speech and Debate program, adding three professional community members dedicated to it and increasing participation and excitement across all divisions. Beyond the tournaments, its lessons are embedded into the curriculum so that Chapin girls, Kindergarten through Class 12, benefit from enhanced skills in research, observation, awareness and relationship building. “We are always evaluating and reevaluating what we do, so that our students know that we are an institution that embodies life-long learning,” she said.

Staying connected to the classroom, Ms. Fogarty serves as an advisor to seniors in the Individual Study Program, and she has previously taught a Chapin course, “We Can. But Should We? Ethical Questions and Technology.” She has increased expert-guided programming for students and parents about the responsible use of social media, technology use and digital citizenship, including frequent collaborations with leading researcher and Boston University lecturer Dr. Jill Walsh. The success of Chapin’s cell phone policy in the Middle School prompted expansion into Classes 8-10, and it is a leading example for responsible technology policies that benefit students’ social development and academic progress.

Ms. Fogarty earned a Masters in Elementary Education, Magna Cum Laude, from Bank Street College and has a B.A. in English and French from Bowdoin College. She has presented on girls’ education at International Coalition of Girls’ Schools conferences, Private Schools for Public Purpose conference in NYC, at the Global Gathering NYC: Schools of Purpose conference, and at the Wonder Woman Conference: Leadership and Design, among others.