By Miro Bergam ’19
This year, Dr. Reid Cottingham will be stepping into a new role in the Pingry community. Formerly teaching English full time, she now assumes the mantle of the Upper School Academic Dean. Dr. Cottingham will also continue her work with the English department, teaching two sections of World Literature in the fall and two sections of Magical Realism in the spring.
As the Upper School Academic Dean, Dr. Cottingham will “serve as a liaison between students, parents, teachers, department chairs, the Coordinator of Academic Support, and the Upper School Director to help students navigate their way through high school academics.” She will be helping with course selection by aiding students in choosing courses that both challenge and interest them.
Dr. Cottingham will also monitor students’ progress, being in contact with parents and teachers when academic concerns arise. Other responsibilities she will be tasked with as Academic Dean include helping out with the advisory program, providing guidance to new faculty on academic policy and procedure, and stepping up as a leader in the seniors’ ISP program.
This will not be Dr. Cottingham’s first foray into the world of administration. When asked about her experience, she said, “I taught and served as an administrator at an all-girls school in Los Angeles. At Marlborough School, I was the English department chair for two years and a form dean. I was also an English teacher, obviously.” In addition to her work experience, Dr. Cottingham graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from Harvard University and a PhD in English Literature from the University of Chicago.
In her words, Dr. Cottingham is most excited “to get to know students as whole people. In the past, I only got to know my students as English scholars, but now I get to see the big picture.” She continued, “I get to see students as researchers, historians, athletes, artists, community servants, and children to the parents I’ll be working with.”
Her biggest obstacle, she figures, will be working with a much larger pool of kids. “Although getting to know so many students from so many different angles is amazing, I’ll need to come to terms with not getting to know each student as deeply as I would in a classroom setting, something I enjoy a lot as an English teacher.”
All things considered, Dr. Cottingham is very excited for her new position. Between the joys of teaching she’s experienced so far and the new challenges she will take on as an administrator, Dr. Cottingham is ready to see where her new role in the community takes her.