Leadership

Meredith Legg began her tenure as Winsor’s ninth head of school on July 1, 2025, bringing to the role a deep well of experience, a bold and inclusive vision, and a staunch commitment to girls’ education. A respected educator and strategic leader, Meredith has come to Winsor at a pivotal and inspiring moment in the school’s history—one that honors its extraordinary legacy while looking confidently to the future.

Meredith made her way to Winsor from Emma Willard School, a nationally recognized day and boarding school for girls in grades 9 through 12, where she most recently served as associate head of school. At Emma Willard, she oversaw the academic program and led a number of institutional initiatives, including faculty professional growth, curricular innovation, and strategic planning. Her responsibilities included managing academic faculty and staff and supervising the Offices of Curriculum and Innovation, College Counseling, Learning Support, Academic and Strategic Technology, and Experiential Learning.

Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping programs that center academic excellence, wellness, belonging, and sustainability. She helped develop the academic pillars of Emma Willard’s record-breaking $175 million capital campaign, introduced a new advanced studies curriculum, created the school’s DEI vision, led the school community through the challenges of Covid, and launched the Emma Willard Center for Teaching and Learning. She also played a critical role in the design and planning of a new performing arts center in addition to faculty housing.

Prior to her role as associate head, Meredith served in a range of academic and administrative positions at Emma Willard, including assistant head of school, academic dean, and director of academic technology. She also taught physics, engineering, and environmental science, with a focus on hands-on, experiential learning. In her own teaching—ranging from introductory engineering to advanced physics—Meredith emphasized lab-based experimentation and real-world applications, drawing from her own educational experiences in research and design.

A former competitive rower and swimmer, Meredith brings the same discipline and teamwork she learned on the water to her leadership. She rowed with the Quad City Rowing Association on the Mississippi River and competed at the U.S. Rowing Nationals in Syracuse, New York. Her early interests in math and science led her to a high school research opportunity through the World Food Prize, where she worked at an international agricultural research center in Mexico.

Meredith holds a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Iowa State University, where she was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and several organizations supporting women in STEM. She conducted undergraduate research in a structural design lab, helping to build and test faculty-led research projects. She earned her Ph.D. in civil engineering at Cornell University, focusing on civil infrastructure systems and natural hazard risk mitigation. It was during her doctoral studies—while serving as a teaching assistant for courses like Structural Analysis and Concrete Design—that she discovered her passion for education and was drawn to independent schools.

She and her husband, Ryan, are the proud parents of Matilda and Charles. As both head of school and a Winsor parent, Meredith is eager to immerse herself in the life of the school and its vibrant community. She believes deeply in the power of girls’ schools and hopes every Winsor student graduates with a strong sense of self and the confidence to pursue their passions.

With her thoughtful leadership and fresh perspective, Meredith Legg is poised to help Winsor advance its mission and realize the ambitious goals of the Winsor Leads Campaign. Her appointment affirms the school’s enduring commitment to academic excellence, wellness, and inclusion—and opens the door to a new chapter filled with promise and possibility.