Dr. Meera Viswanathan joined Walker’s from Brown University, where she was an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and East Asian Studies.
A lifelong educator and scholar, Meera holds her undergraduate degree, her M.A., and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Meera was born in Madras, India and emigrated at age five to Los Angeles.
Meera joined Brown University as a Japan Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Comparative Literature and East Asian Studies departments. Subsequently, she became an assistant professor and was promoted with tenure. Meera, who is fluent in seven languages including French, German, Latin, Classical Greek, Old English, and Old Norse, received several National Endowment for the Humanities grants and awards while at Brown.
Meera and her husband, Dr. Eric Widmer, former head of school at Deerfield Academy, were asked by King Abdullah II of Jordan to establish King’s Academy, the Middle East’s first co-educational college preparatory boarding school with financial aid. The school opened in 2007. Meera served as the school’s principal architect of the curriculum and dean of faculty. King Abdullah II personally awarded Meera the King Hussein Medal, Jordan’s highest honor, for her endeavors.
Meera, or “Ms. Vis” as she’s known to students, began her tenure as head of The Ethel Walker School on July 1, 2016.
T4 Education (London) – International Women’s Day: What Super Powers Do Girls Need?
On International Women’s Day, Head of School Dr. Meera Viswanathan spoke on London’s T4 Education with Vikas Pota about Walker’s Capabilities Approach Program, why girls should never have the power of invisibility and how going to an all-girls school distinguishes students from all the rest. Watch Video
CPTV — Sharing Connecticut’s “Women’s Work: Stories Behind the Movement”
Meera is featured in the first episode of “Women’s Work: Stories Behind the Movement,” a six-part multimedia series from Connecticut Public, featuring the stories of local women who share a common desire to be part of a collective effort — serving as leaders, trailblazers, artists, educators, advocates, and entrepreneurs. Watch Video
Hartford Magazine
Read a January 2019 article in Hartford Magazine about Meera’s vision for educating, emboldening and inspiring girls at Walker’s. Read More
Simsbury Public TV
During the summer of 2018, Meera was a guest on Simsbury Community Television’s “The Simsbury Woman” with Sheila Guilloton. She spoke about her background, the School’s founding, the value of girls’ education, women’s leadership, and the equestrian program at Walker’s. Listen
KZSU Stanford FM
Meera did an extended interview with the Stanford University radio station KZSU Stanford in January 2018 for their Modern Tek News program about education in the 21st Century. She also commented on how she, faculty and staff mentor girls at Walker’s to foster an environment of leadership. She shared her thoughts on the role that parents play in their daughters’ education and how joy and happiness are critical factors in learning. Listen
WNPR’s “Where We Live” with Lucy Nalpathanchil
Meera Viswanathan spoke with Lucy Nalpathanchil of WNPR’s “Where We Live” about the value of girls’ education and her vision for Walker’s students. Listen
Having Hope: A Time for Resolve, Resilience and Reinvention (Moffly Media Education Guide)
2018-2019: Education by Design (Moffly Media Independent School Guide)
2017-2018: Fire. Earth. Water. Air. Elemental Memories of School Life (Moffly Media Independent School Guide)