The visiting voices / Est. 1989
Schwartz Visiting Fellows.
Since 1989, world-renowned experts have visited Pomfret School under the auspices of the Schwartz Visiting Fellow program — a speaker series established through the vision and generosity of Michael '66 and Eric '69 Schwartz.
The season, 1989 — 2026
- Years in the record
- 38
- Fellowship visits
- 36
- Portraits
- 35
2020s
6 visits · 1 year without a fellow
- 2026
Aerospace Engineering (NASA)
Kobie Boykins
Principal mechanical engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory who has worked on every Mars mission since 1996. Designed the solar arrays for the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, led mobility teams for Curiosity, and currently serves as chief engineer on the Europa Clipper mission.
- 2025
Dance and Choreography
Bill T. Jones
One of the most innovative dancers, directors, and choreographers of our time. Recipient of two Tony Awards, a MacArthur "Genius" Grant, Kennedy Center Honors, and the National Medal of Arts. His performances explore identity, race, and sexuality.
- 2024
Humanitarian Leadership
Ndaba Mandela
Grandson of Nelson Mandela and founder of the Mandela Institute for Humanity. Author of Going to the Mountain: Life Lessons from My Grandfather, Nelson Mandela, sharing wisdom from growing up with one of the twentieth century's most iconic leaders.
- 2023
Journalism and Nonfiction
Jessica Bruder
Journalist covering subcultures for The New York Times, WIRED, and Harper's. Author of Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, which was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film directed by Chloé Zhao.
- 2022
Culinary Arts and Television
Ming Tsai
Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and television host behind Blue Ginger, Blue Dragon, and PBS's Simply Ming. A Yale and Le Cordon Bleu graduate known for East-West fusion cuisine. His visit marked the program's return after the COVID-19 hiatus.
- 2021
COVID-19
The program paused in 2021 as travel and in-person gatherings were restricted at educational institutions globally.
- 2020
Science Writing and Media
Steven Johnson
Author of eleven books including Where Good Ideas Come From and The Ghost Map. Host of the PBS series How We Got to Now and the podcast American Innovations. Visited Pomfret in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person events.
2010s
10 visits
- 2019
Animal Science and Autism Advocacy
Dr. Temple Grandin
Professor of animal science at Colorado State University and one of the first individuals on the autism spectrum to share insights from her personal experience with the public. Revolutionized the livestock industry with humane handling designs.
- 2018
Literature (Pulitzer Laureate)
Junot Díaz
Pulitzer Prize winner for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, MIT professor of writing, and MacArthur Fellow. Born in the Dominican Republic, his work explores the immigrant experience, identity, and Dominican-American life.
- 2017
Technology and Innovation Policy
Alec Ross
One of America's leading experts on innovation. Served as senior advisor for innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and is a distinguished visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins. Author of The Industries of the Future.
- 2016
Journalism and National Security
Peter Bergen
CNN national security analyst, vice president at New America, and author of books including Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden. The last Western journalist to interview Osama bin Laden.
- 2015
Playwriting
Cheryl L. West
Award-winning playwright whose works include Jar the Floor, Before It Hits Home, and Pullman Porter Blues. Her plays explore African American family dynamics and social issues, and have been commissioned by major theaters across the United States.
- 2014
Engineering and Science Communication
Destin Sandlin
Rocket scientist and mechanical engineer at Redstone Arsenal and creator of the popular YouTube channel Smarter Every Day, which has amassed over 10 million subscribers. His visit represented the program's embrace of new media science communication.
- 2013
Broadcast Journalism
Ray Suarez
PBS senior correspondent for NewsHour and former host of NPR's Talk of the Nation. A prominent voice in American broadcast journalism for decades, covering politics, policy, and social issues.
- 2012
Literature and Memoir
Da Chen
Leading Chinese-American memoirist and novelist, author of the bestselling memoirs Colors of the Mountain and Sounds of the River, chronicling his experiences growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China and his journey to America.
- 2011
Planetary Science
Dr. Carolyn Porco
Head of the imaging team for the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and winner of the Carl Sagan Award for Science Education. Also served on the imaging team for the Voyager missions. Named one of Time magazine's 25 most influential people in space.
- 2010
Anthropology and Exploration
Wade Davis
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence who lives alongside indigenous peoples to document their cultural practices. Holds a Ph.D. in ethnobotany from Harvard. Author of The Serpent and the Rainbow and One River.
2000s
10 visits
- 2009
Poetry and Arts Administration
Dana Gioia
Award-winning poet, critic, and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (2003–2009). Author of the influential essay "Can Poetry Matter?" Later served as Poet Laureate of California.
- 2008
Broadcast Journalism
Carole Simpson
Award-winning journalist and the first African American woman to anchor a major network evening newscast, serving as anchor for ABC's World News Tonight Sunday (1988–2003). Moderated the 1992 presidential debate between Bush, Clinton, and Perot.
- 2007
Literature and Science Writing
Bill Bryson
Internationally acclaimed author of more than a dozen books including A Short History of Nearly Everything, A Walk in the Woods, and The Mother Tongue. Served as Chancellor of Durham University in England from 2005 to 2011.
- 2006
Theoretical Physics
Brian Greene
Professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, best known for his work on string theory and his bestselling books The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos. Co-founder of the World Science Festival.
- 2005
Public Service and Government
Christine Todd Whitman
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2001–2003) under President George W. Bush and the 50th Governor of New Jersey (1994–2001). The first woman to serve as Governor of New Jersey.
- 2004
Ocean Exploration and Environmentalism
Jean-Michel Cousteau
Son of legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau. Environmentalist, film producer, and founder of Ocean Futures Society. Has produced over 80 films and continues his father's legacy of ocean conservation and marine education.
- 2003
International Studies and Politics
Dr. Sergei Khrushchev
Senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University and son of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev (1935–2020). His unique perspective on the Cold War and Soviet history made him an exceptionally compelling fellow.
- 20022nd visitNo portrait on file
Dance and Arts Education
Jacques d'Amboise
D'Amboise returned to Pomfret for a second fellowship visit, six years after his first appearance in 1996.
This entry is preserved on Pomfret's legacy MySchoolApp archive but is absent from the current pomfret.org site, which appears to have consolidated both visits into a single 1996 entry. Please verify with school archives before publishing.
- 2001
Literature
Carlos Fuentes
One of Latin America's most distinguished novelists and a central figure of the Latin American literary "Boom." Author of The Old Gringo, The Death of Artemio Cruz, and Terra Nostra. Recipient of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize.
- 2000
Paleoanthropology
Dr. Donald C. Johanson
Paleoanthropologist best known for discovering the 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton named "Lucy" in Ethiopia in 1974. Founder of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University.
1990s
9 visits · 1 year without a fellow
- 1999
Marine Science and Exploration
Robert Ballard
World-renowned marine geologist best known for his 1985 discovery of the wreck of the RMS Titanic. Also discovered hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, the wreck of the Bismarck, and numerous other significant underwater sites.
- 1998
Literature (Pulitzer Laureate)
Frank McCourt
Teacher and author who won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his memoir Angela's Ashes. The book recounted his impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland, and became an international bestseller. Spent decades as a public school teacher in New York City.
- 1997
No fellow hosted
No fellow is listed for this year in any historical record or archive examined. This appears to be a genuine gap in the program's continuity.
- 1996
Dance and Arts Education
Jacques d'Amboise
One of the finest classical dancers of his time, founder of the National Dance Institute and former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine for over three decades. Received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1995.
- 1995
Literature
Joyce Carol Oates
American writer of extraordinary prolificacy, having published over 40 novels, plays, novellas, and volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her honors include a National Book Award, two O. Henry Awards, and the National Humanities Medal.
- 1994
History and Literature
David McCullough
American author, historian, and lecturer. Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize (for Truman and John Adams) and the National Book Award, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. One of the most beloved historians of his generation.
- 1993
Human Rights and Diplomacy
Madame Jehan Sadat
Human rights activist and widow of former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, serving as First Lady of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination in 1981. A prominent advocate for women's rights in the Arab world.
- 1992
Physics (Nobel Laureate)
Leon Lederman
Winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize for Physics for work on neutrino beams. Lead scientist on the Superconducting Super Collider, former director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and a passionate advocate for science education.
- 1991
Theater and Playwriting
Edward Albee
American playwright known for The Zoo Story, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and A Delicate Balance. Three of his plays won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Widely regarded as one of the greatest American dramatists of the twentieth century.
- 1990
Intelligence and Geopolitics
Stanislav Levchenko
Former Russian KGB major who defected to the United States in 1979 — the highest-ranking KGB officer to defect to the West. His visit came just one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, making his account of Soviet operations particularly timely.
1989
1 visit
- 1989
Politics and Education
The Honorable Shirley Chisholm
Winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1968, she became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. In 1972, she became the first Black candidate for a major party's presidential nomination. The inaugural Schwartz Visiting Fellow.
About the Program
Each fellowship typically involves a multi-day campus visit including a school-wide lecture, a public community lecture in Hard Auditorium, student panel discussions, classroom visits, and a reception. The selection rotates among academic departments to ensure a diversity of disciplines represented over time.
This list documents the Schwartz Visiting Fellow program as it occurred across nearly four decades. Inclusion reflects the historical record of who was invited at the time of each visit and is not a contemporary endorsement by Pomfret School of any fellow's personal conduct or public positions before or after their time on the Hilltop.