This fall, Head of School Dr. Rodney De Jarnett hosted a special Zoom assembly presentation for Middle and Upper School students with the best-selling author Ozan Varol (Think Like a Rocket Scientist).
All parents/guardians of D-E students were also invited and encouraged to attend.
On the right are excerpts from a letter sent by Dr. De Jarnett to introduce Varol to our community prior to this memorable virtual gathering.
To learn more about Ozan Varol and his book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist, visit www.ozanvarol.com
An Excerpt of a Letter from Head of School Dr. De Jarnett introducing Ozan Varol
An Excerpt of a Letter from Head of School Dr. De Jarnett introducing Ozan Varol
“… always looking for inspiration and new ideas when life and work are especially challenging, I have found Ozan Varol’s book to be one of the best books I have read of late.
So who is this author Ozan Varol? Borrowing from various online resources including his website page (ozanvarol.com/about), he IS (actually) “a rocket scientist, award-winning law professor, and author of non-fiction books. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ozan grew up in a family of no English speakers. He moved to the US by himself at 17 to attend Cornell University and major in planetary sciences. While there, he served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project that sent two rovers to Mars. He later became a law professor to influence others to make interplanetary leaps on this planet. Varol has written numerous award-winning articles that are taught in colleges and graduate schools. His work has been featured in domestic and foreign media, including BBC, Time, CNN, Washington Post, Slate, and Foreign Policy.”
It’s worth pointing out too that reviewers and fellow authors of note — including Dan Pink (A Whole New Mind) , Adam Grant (Think Again) and Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) — all have also raved about Varol’s book. “
Human Development and Student Support Services Spotlight: Building Resilience and Community
D-E’s Human Development Department and Student Support Services Department both provide our students with a safe space for self-discovery, mental health awareness, and learnings that go beyond academics. In addition to leading the Human Development Department, Chair Dr. Daniel Carragher (aka “Dr. C”) P’26, in his 15th year at D-E, teaches AP Psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist who practices outside of the School. Meanwhile, Student Support Services includes psychologists assigned to each division, school nurses, and learning specialists. Click the link in our bio to learn more about Human Development and Student Support Services!
4th Graders Present Their Research on Inventions That Changed the World
As part of a nonfiction writing unit, fourth graders in Ms. Watson’s class explored the research and writing process by studying an invention of their choice and developing a well-structured five-paragraph essay. “They began by generating their own subtopics,...
D-E Celebrates V-DAY 2026 With Moving Presentations
D-E’s V-Day 2026, with the theme of “Rise for our Bodies, Our Future, Our Earth,” was a stunningly powerful event organized by the leaders of the Women of Color Affinity group, Amanda Santos ’26, Ripley Chang ’27, and Yaritza Menjivar ’27, under the guidance of Dra....
3D-E Hosts Engineering Challenge
The 3D Printing and Engineering Club (3D-E) recently hosted an engineering event in The Imperatore Library in honor of National Engineers Week, celebrated nationally this week. Innovation Coordinator Ms. Larionoff explained that the cross-divisional event is based on...
CODES PaintFest Service Learning Program Highlights
The Upper School (US) CODES Club recently hosted a fantastic “PaintFest” service learning program in partnership with the Foundation for Hospital Art. Their efforts culminated in beautiful, vivid paintings that will eventually find their way to the walls of Englewood...
Seniors Celebrate 100 Days Countdown to Commencement 2026
Let the countdown begin! The D-E Class of 2026 was recently invited to Hajjar Auditorium to celebrate 100 Days to Commencement. During the event, hosted by the D-E Development and Alumni Relations Team, students were treated to a D-Electable breakfast of blue-and-gold...
Celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month celebrations continued this week in the Middle and Upper Schools with assemblies in Schenck Auditorium facilitated by the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Department. For the US Assembly, members of the Black Affinity student...
Author Visits Help Enrich MS Literary Units
Authors recently visited our Middle School (MS) to enrich current units of study. Seventh graders hosted a Q&A session with award-winning author Reyna Grande, whose memoir, “The Distance Between Us,” is central to their cross-curricular Anatomy of a Human Project....
D-E Celebrates Lunar New Year!
D-E rang in the Lunar New Year with dynamic assembly performances and a jubilant celebration in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall, graciously facilitated by our Asian American, Chinese, and Korean Parent Affinity Groups. Festivities began in the Lower School (LS) with...
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Valentine’s Concerts 2026
In a beloved D-E tradition, this week our Lower School (LS) Kindergarten and 1st Grade students tugged at heartstrings during their Valentine’s Chorus Concerts for families. Hajjar Auditorium was decked with red, pink, and white balloon displays and paper hearts with...











