On Tuesday, September 22, Blair welcomes alum Dr. Tiffany Russell ’91 back to campus for the Society of Skeptics. Currently serving as the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at The Galloway School in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Russell brings a message centered on the power of creative exploration, equity and the courage to try new things.

A lifelong educator and ceramicist, Dr. Russell has devoted her career to creating spaces where students and colleagues feel “seen, valued and empowered.” Much of her dedication to creating such spaces has been inspired by her own academic journey, which included formative years at Blair. As a recipient of the Terrell Scholarship, Dr. Russell recalls how fortunate she was to have had the unique opportunity that she did—from independent studies exploring multicultural literature in the office of English teacher Carolyn Conforti-Browse ’79, who is also Blair’s Dean of Campus Life and Director of Leadership Programs, to discovering a passion for the arts in ceramics teacher Phil Homes’ pottery studio.

After graduating from Blair, Dr. Russell attended Columbia University before transferring to Temple University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in African American studies. Shortly after, the alum also obtained her doctoral degree in educational policy studies from Georgia State University. Eager to test what she had learned and share her lessons with others, she returned to Blair to teach from 1996 to 1998, helping pioneer African American Studies programming at the School with the support of the Terrell Fund. She later moved to Atlanta, serving as the first-ever Director of Multicultural Programs and Services at The Lovett School, before stepping into her current leadership role at The Galloway School, where she also continues her passion for teaching.

Alongside her administrative leadership, Dr. Russell runs her own business, Tiffany Russell Pottery, and facilitates interactive workshops for organizations, leadership cohorts and community groups. Utilizing wet clay as an experiential medium, she helps participants pause, process complex environments and connect with their peers.

“Try everything,” Dr. Russell encouraged students during a pre-event interview. “You can still be an academic and serve people if that is what you’re called to do, and you can also do something else as well. It’s okay to try new things. I put my hands in clay, and I loved it—but I would not have done it had I not tried it at Blair.”

For Dr. Russell, returning to the Society of Skeptics stage represents a meaningful full-circle moment.

“I remember just being in community with my peers at Skeptics—it felt like a college lecture that you were being offered, and we felt so important,” she shared. “I want to offer something new, creative, and thoughtful, and share what clay has taught me about being human.”

History of Skeptics

The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.