Ann Marie White

Ann Marie is a member of both the science and math faculty, and is also Putney’s Academic Dean.

“Putney values independence of thought. It’s more than school, it’s a progressive education incubator. Faculty and students here don’t just blindly do, they question and think about what they are doing, and about why and how they are doing it. Then they challenge each other not just to raise the bar, but to reinvent it.

“Project-based learning is key. In a traditional classroom I could go on about Molecular Genetics and the beauty of it. If you, the student, couldn’t quite see it you could still memorize the necessary material. Here, you and I can start with beauty. Content follows. Which is why in my Pre-calculus class, one group had to build a roller coaster and then come up with the equations for all of the parabolas and ellipses in it. Sure, I could have just taught conic sections, and said, ‘Here are things to memorize.’ My choice was to say, ‘Build me a roller coaster and tell me how it works.’

“It’s really rather extraordinary. At Putney, students can explore, are allowed to make mistakes, find new passions, accept responsibility, and still reach the top educational bar— all by getting their hands soaking wet and dirty. Because we allow students freedom of mind, they don’t spend their time here pushing against external walls. They build internal scaffolds, structures of discipline that will support them throughout life.”

B.A. Thomas Hunter Honors Program, Biology,
Black and Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College
Ph.D. Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology