Brizendine Visiting Scholars

Marin Academy's long-standing Brizendine Visiting Scholars program supported the science, performing and visual arts departments last spring to bring in outside experts, leaders in their field, and create innovative programming.

In conjunction with MA's 50th anniversary last year, the visual arts department collaborated with ceramic muralist Sophia Othman to create and install an abstract piece connected to the foundational concepts of art—a beautiful and colorful commemoration of the importance of the visual arts at MA.

The science department brought the MA community together to devote a day to climate action by inviting former White House Climate Advisor Molly Kawahata to campus to engage us in conversation. At a keynote assembly, Kawahata spoke of the importance of understanding psychology and neuroscience to affect systemic climate change; she also shared how important it is to care for one's mental health to become an effective climate leader.

Later in the day, the community broke into smaller workshops featuring:

David Ackerly, UC Berkeley, Professor

Kit Baron '01, Farmers Business Network, Head of Data Science

Julia Elkin, Jackie Mandoske, and Phoenix Amenta, Marin County Public Works

Sara Leon Guerrero, One Tam Bee Lab, Community Science Program Assistant

Mikaela Hiatt, Transportation Authority of Marin, Associate Transportation Planner

Kyle Lemle '07, climate change community organizer and consultant

Johanna Nelson '90, Save the Redwoods, Director of Science Conservation

Kanyon Sayers-Rood, steward and educator, Mutsun Valley Tribe, San José, sSteward and eEducator Gretchen Taylor, Environmental Resource Management (ERM), Partner

Damon Tighe, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Curriculum and Training Specialist

Jessica Wolfrom, San Francisco Examiner, Editor and Climate Reporter

In addition, MA physics teacher, Jon Bretan led a workshop on the history of the electrical power grid, and MA history teacher Derek Anderson led a workshop on climate change in the seventeenth century. Fittingly, the day of climate action ended with student presentations to their peers.

The performing arts department was delighted to host a number of workshops. The Theater Department hosted a workshop about roles and race with actor, playwright, journalist, and Fulbright Scholar Dan Hoyle. Dance students worked with five different visiting artists and organizations, including AXIS Dance Company, one of the nation's most acclaimed ensembles of disabled and non-disabled performers, hip hop artist Fredrika Keefer, Bollywood choreographer Enakshi Vyas, yoga instructor Nadia Oka, and choreographer Galen Rogers.