Whitman Shepard became Head of School at Robert College in 2025, bringing with him decades of leadership and teaching experience in Türkiye and abroad.
Mr. Shepard attended schools across Türkiye, including the Robert College Community School in Istanbul. He earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1977. After teaching assignments in Swaziland with the Peace Corps, in New Hampshire, and in Tarsus American College, he joined Robert College in 1983 as a mathematics teacher. Over the next 18 years, he served in many roles – leading the Math Department, founding the RC Summer Camp, and serving as Lise Principal. During this time, in 1993, he completed his Ed.M. at Harvard University with a concentration in international education.
He left Robert College to become Head of Üsküdar American Academy in Istanbul from 2001 to 2010. He then served as Superintendent of SEV American High Schools from 2010 to 2014 and was the Founding Head of SEV American College from 2014 to 2017. After several years in the United States, he returned to Türkiye to take on the role of Head of School at Robert College.
Mr. Shepard brings to his leadership a deep understanding of Turkish and international education, along with a lifelong commitment to learning, community, and global citizenship.