Germantown Academy Head of School Rich Schellhas 1760 has announced the hiring of Nidhi McVicar (Nih-dthee Mc-vic-er) as Assistant Head of School. McVicar will join the GA community in July 2021 after finishing her tenure as Director of Teaching and Learning at the Overlake School in Redmond, Washington. Her main duties at GA will consist of the continued development of strong curriculum and programs, including 21st century skills and innovative programs, experiential learning, ed-tech, equity and inclusion, strategic planning, faculty professional development, and research-based teaching and learning strategies.

“From our very first conversation it was clear that Nidhi possesses all the qualities we need in an Assistant Head of School,” commented Schellhas. “She is exceedingly bright, filled with enthusiasm, completely attuned to the curricular needs of schools in the 21st century, and makes connections with others remarkably easily. After two days on campus, Nidhi already felt like a passionate member of our community. She synthesized beautifully the threads from dozens of conversations, and after two very long days of interviewing was even more energized than when she arrived – the best sign that it is a strong match between a candidate and a school. She will brilliantly build relationships with all constituencies at GA, and under her leadership I am confident that our PreK-12 curriculum will be even better and more connected, particularly across the different divisions. We are extremely fortunate to welcome her, her husband Jamie, and her two children, Winston and India, to GA in July!”

During her time at Overlake, McVicar’s work included schedule redesign and development and assessment of academic and distance learning programs, along with long-term strategic planning. She oversees all aspects of the professional development program, collaborates with division heads on faculty hiring, and assists with student health and wellbeing initiatives and the instructional use of technology.

“I felt incredibly welcome from my very first evening at GA,” said McVicar. “The shared sense of purpose and excitement from the community was palpable. Schools are about impactful teaching and inspiring learning spaces; they are also a constellation of relationships that make adults and students feel safe and welcome. The obvious commitment and institutional pride from every GA constituency was impressive. I am excited to collaborate and build upon the excellent teaching and learning that is happening and to guide the program in new, innovative directions. My family and I look forward to making this community our home, and the people in it our friends and colleagues.”

Prior to her current position, McVicar was a senior faculty member at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach where she taught AP Economics, created a financial literacy curriculum, coordinated Professional Learning Groups and worked with academic leaders to analyze student performance data and improve vertical curricular alignment across divisions. McVicar also counseled and trained faculty on academic integrity issues and she coordinated academic and social-emotional support efforts with senior advisors to address needs of advisees and students of concern.

McVicar served as a school and faculty evaluator for the Florida Council of Independent Schools with a special focus on faculty evaluation methods and professional development programs. She spent nine years as an AP exam reader, was an adjunct professor of business and economics at Palm Beach State College, and spent a few years as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. She also served as a teaching assistant at Duke before she spent two years as the manager of corporate and foundation development at The North Carolina Symphony.

McVicar holds a BA in accounting from Boston College, an MBA from Duke University, and a Master of Education in Private School Leadership from Columbia.