Meet the New Director of Academic Growth

Ludlow is a psychologist with a long track record of supporting youth in schools and other settings to develop their strengths and achieve their full potential. In her role leading the Center for Academic Growth, she is focused on helping students harness their diverse talents and build the skills and habits they need to excel in the classroom.

For Ludlow, working with youths to maximize their distinct gifts is a calling that has defined her professional journey. With an MA in School Psychology from Fairfield University, she began her career two decades ago providing behavioral intervention services to children with autism, first at a center and later as a consultant. After working as a school psychologist at Stamford Public Schools, she was recruited to Watertown, Connecticut’s The Taft School, an independent co-educational high school where she most recently served as director of its academic center.

Beyond the professional chops Ludlow brings to Porter’s, she also has a personal understanding of all-girls secondary education, having attended Academy of the Sacred Heart, a former private Catholic girls’ high school in New Jersey. She described that educational experience as “formative” in shaping her character and instilling confidence in her capabilities, and says now being able to empower the girls of Porter’s feels like a natural fit.

At Porter’s, Ludlow wants to improve communication and cooperation between the school’s diverse academic support programs so that students get more efficient, comprehensive help. Recognizing the importance of collecting and using data to make smart decisions, she is committed to evidence-based practice to improve the effectiveness of academic supports. When working with students to explore new learning strategies, Ludlow’s motto is “Try, adapt, master,” an approach that involves trial and error to find the right approaches.

Ludlow’s priorities and work are strongly influenced by the Porter’s mission, which in part encompasses educating young women to become informed, bold, resourceful and ethical global citizens. To fulfill that mission, she is guiding students to understand their learning styles and socioemotional needs so they can advocate for themselves in their classrooms and actively shape their education.

“The best way to change the world is to know yourself, and to be able to stand really firmly in who you are,” Ludlow says. “I want to be a thought partner to students and faculty and make sure we foster an environment where the girls can thrive.”