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. “
A Monster Calls: A Fall Play About the Human Experience
The annual D-E Fall Play for the 2025-2026 school year is A Monster Calls, based on the young adult novel by Patrick Ness and an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, about a boy burdened by a recurring nightmare in which a “monster” tells him a series of tales. Performances...
Highlights From Tacky Tourist Day 2, Spirit Week 2025
For Day 2 of Spirit Week, our Upper School (US) students (and faculty/staff) dressed as “tacky tourists”— and 11th graders defeated 9th graders during the lunchtime soccer game PLUS won the halftime game, during which players hilariously stuffed their mouths with...
Upper School Discusses Immigration in America
Emily Sclafani, Dean for the Class of 2026 and Faculty Advisor for the D-E Political Discussions (D-EPD) Club, recently held an informational session in Hajjar Auditorium on immigration policy in America, attended by Upper School students and D-E faculty/staff. Ms....
D-E Spirit Week Kicks Off
In the run-up to Spirit Week, D-E’s Upper School (US) students showed their school spirit by gathering at the Senior Lot to march together to Solomon Field for the Boys Varsity Soccer game ahead of Homecoming 2025. The theme was Pink Out, in honor of Breast Cancer...
Legacy Families Breakfast Highlights
This past weekend, which was dedicated to Reunion 2025, officially kicked-off with a beloved D-E tradition: the annual Legacy Families Breakfast. Legacy families are those D-E alumni families with children currently attending the School. This year D-E has more than...
The D-E Community Shines a Light on Meaningful Community Service Opportunities
The topic of the Upper School (US) Assembly on Thursday, Oct. 23, was “Meaningful Service at D-E.” Ms. Debbie Rivera Murphy ’11, Dean of Student Life, began the program by asking students to reflect on a quote by Euphemia Creighton, founding Co-Principal of the Dwight...
Innovation In Action: D-E Faculty/Staff Attend EdTechWeek
D-E faculty and staff from all three divisions attended EdTechWeek, a three-day conference in New York that brings together some of the brightest minds in technology and education to tackle some of the most pressing challenges that educators are currently facing,...
D-E Hosts the Model UN Conference
D-E’s Model UN Club (D-EMUN) recently hosted six high schools for the annual D-EMUN conference, a two-day event that simulates the research, negotiations, and resolution writing that occur during United Nations summits. Max Koppelman ’26 and Gabriel Rhodes ’26 were...
South Asian Lower School Students Observe Diwali
Happy Festival of Lights! This week South Asian Lower School (LS) students observed Diwali by dressing in traditional attire. Primarily a Hindu festival, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness and is celebrated by illuminating one’s home with...
D-E Parents Discuss ‘Never Enough’
A group of highly engaged parents recently gathered in Hulst House with members of D-E’s Counseling Team to discuss Jennifer Wallace’s book, “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It.” The book asks readers to consider the...











