ALUMNI/AE
TATE LAVITT ’10
At the Intersection of Ecosystems & Economies When Tate Lavitt ’10 talks about his life, it’s not a neat elevator pitch or a linear résumé. It’s a cascade of stories—about camping in Mongolia, discovering a new species of moth, running multi-million dollar biotech deals, and writing prize-winning essays on biodiversity finance. If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is.
But running through the whirlwind of experiences is a steady current of purpose: a desire to protect the planet’s biodiversity, challenge how we value nature, and find new ways to bring science and policy together. For Tate, that purpose was first set in motion at Millbrook. Tate came to Millbrook with his twin sister, Mariah, when they were just 14. Their family chose the school in part because of the Trevor Zoo—an attraction not just for its novelty, but because their father, Jed Lavitt ’73, had also attended Millbrook decades earlier and cared for animals at the zoo. As Tate shares, his father was transformed in high school. “My dad went from seeking direction as a kid to absolutely thriving at Millbrook,” Tate explains. “It completely changed his life, and he wanted us to have that same opportunity.” Though the adjustment to boarding life was rocky, Tate found solace and fascination in the zoo. He also immersed himself in ceramics, entomology, and the kind of hands-on, interdisciplinary learning that would come to define his adult experiences. One experience, in particular, left a lasting mark on Tate: a field research expedition to Mongolia with Millbrook’s then Science Department Chair Dr. Barry Rosenbaum to study endangered argali sheep. “I’d never been camping before, and suddenly I’m halfway across the world digging latrines and collecting camel dung for fuel,” he recalls with a laugh. The group didn’t end up collaring any sheep, but the expedition opened his eyes to field biology, global ecosystems, and the thrill of real scientific inquiry. “It was brutal, it was wild, and it was unforgettable. It changed the way I thought about science, and the world.”
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• SPRING 2025