Pingry has appointed Kevin Farrant as its inaugural Dr. Joseph A. Leone Fellow for Emerging Technologies. The position was made possible by the generosity of Mrs. Nancy Leone in memory of her late husband Dr. Joseph A. Leone. The purpose of the gift was to support and invest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as well as emerging technologies/artificial intelligence–related programming initiatives and resources for K-12 students and educators.
Mr. Farrant will support the School’s efforts to thoughtfully integrate cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, into the educational experience, and help Pingry build forward-looking initiatives, foster creative problem-solving, and navigate ethical and practical considerations of modern technology.
He comes to Pingry with 15 years of experience in independent schools—specializing in AI integration and STEAM curriculum—most recently at Rye Country Day School, where he served as Makerspace Director and Upper School Technology Coordinator and led programs in engineering, design, and STEAM education. For the past three years, he has convened professional learning cohorts focused on building AI fluency across faculty and staff, and co-chaired the school’s AI Research Committee.
Prior to Rye Country Day School, he spent over 10 years at Village Community School in New York, teaching STEAM, art and design, and sixth-grade humanities, and building out the K–8 technology curriculum.
Mr. Farrant also operates an independent consulting practice with schools on AI integration and STEAM program design, and created the AI Agency Toolkit to help teachers and students think through when and how AI belongs in their work. At the center of Mr. Farrant’s work is a simple conviction: technology is at its best when it serves people, strengthens relationships, and fosters collaboration.
“When I started out teaching middle school Art and Design, I measured myself by student outcomes, as if they were a direct reflection of my competence,” he said. “Over time, my thinking changed. I came to see each student and colleague as shaped by their own experiences, and I learned that my real work was to understand those experiences well enough to support them. Teaching, at its best, helps people make meaning from their lived experience. Differentiation and respect for individuality are not techniques I apply on top of my practice. They are the foundation of it. That belief now guides how I lead on technology.”
Mr. Farrant earned a B.F.A. and an M.S. in Art and Design Education K–12 at the Pratt Institute.
Contact: Greg Waxberg ’96, Assistant Director of Communications, Writer/Editor