Faculty Chair Awarded, New Chair Announced

Teaching Chair Awards are typically presented to teachers with a long-standing tenure. However, the Susan Hillis Newton Teaching Chair, funded by Drs. Susan Cummings and Kris Jenner, recognizes McDonogh teachers, with 10 or fewer years of experience, who show promise for the future. At the closing faculty and staff meeting in June, the audience erupted with applause when it was announced that Josh Fitch ’08 was the recipient of the Chair. In making the announcement, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 shared that as a student, Fitch, a wrestler, was both outgoing and humble. After college, he returned to McDonogh as a wrestling coach and a substitute teacher. His charm, calming presence, and ability to relate to children of all ages soon led to a full-time opportunity as a kindergarten associate teacher. Soon after Fitch moved on to fourth grade and then to Middle School where he is currently a language arts teacher.

In presenting the Newton Chair to the young teacher, Farace said, “Just six years into his full-time McDonogh career as a teacher-coach, our honoree, Josh Fitch, has already established himself as a rising star, and we are delighted to give him the recognition he deserves.”

The good news continued with the announcement of the Douglas M. Kolodny, Ph.D. ’70 Distinguished Teaching Chair

Kolodny, who was present for the announcement, says he entered McDonogh as a freshman in 1966 and was an average student who relied heavily on his instructors to push and challenge him. Science was and is his passion, as reflected by his career. He has developed and marketed eco-friendly biopesticides, led business development efforts for firms in the therapeutic and regenerative medicine space, and founded a company that researched genomics in the hopes of treating diseases such as muscular dystrophy.

In describing his motivation to make a commitment to McDonogh, Kolodny says, “I wanted to acknowledge a select group of teachers who have the potential to dramatically alter the life trajectory of future generations. I owe much of my academic achievements and professional success to a handful of committed and gifted instructors. It is my hope that funding this Distinguished Teaching Chair sustains McDonogh’s mission of educating students to be LifeReady.”

—Meredith Bower