IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Award Past Honorees

Sherry Rusher 
2023 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Award Honoree

First and foremost a teacher, Sherry Rusher spent 10 years teaching Spanish at Castilleja School, an all-girls school in Palo Alto, California, before she moved to Washington, DC, in 1989 to teach boys at St. Albans School (United States)—and never looked back. It didn’t take long at St. Albans for her to realize that her trepidation about a boys’ school was unfounded. In fact, she discovered that boys’ schools offer boys the opportunity to be more—not less—vulnerable. In their best versions, boys’ schools permit open dialogue about what it means to be a good man, a good person. 

During Rusher’s time at St. Albans, she served as chair of the Foreign Language Department before moving to her current role as dean of faculty. In her current capacity, she oversees the hiring and observation of teachers, but she stresses that she is the one who learns the most watching her colleagues perform their magic. 

In 2014, Rusher joined the IBSC Board of Trustees. She has participated in IBSC Annual Conferences, co-sponsored a regional conference on reaching and supporting boys of color, undertaken online classes, and contributed to IBSC podcasts. She firmly believes that the professional development offered by IBSC is some of the very best that teachers of boys will experience and she has implemented IBSC-sponsored research into her own teaching and administrative practices.

Rusher holds a B.A. in Spanish from Trinity University in Texas and an M.A. in Spanish literature from the University of Texas at Austin.

David Armstrong 
2022 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Award Honoree

With extensive experience in education, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors, David Armstrong adeptly led IBSC as its fourth executive director until his retirement in 2021. During his tenure he catalyzed growth and membership, raised the organization's global profile, improved the quality and value of the products and services offered to members, and delivered robust revenues to ensure the future of IBSC.

Previously as headmaster of Landon School (United States) from 2004-15, Armstrong demonstrated his steadfast commitment to educating boys, especially in the area of character development, and his passionate advocacy for boys’ schools and all the individuals who serve them. 

Armstrong earned his bachelor’s from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of Denver. Currently, he resides in La Jolla, California, with his wife Liz. They have three children and 10 grandchildren.

Miguel Dionis 
2021 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Award Honoree

Miguel Dionis has dedicated his entire life to the world of education for boys at Viaró Global School (Spain), which serves students from infant to 18 years old. He has taught in all educational stages after starting as a primary school teacher in 1991. Dionis served as head of Primary Education at Viaró for more than 10 years. After that, he became the head of studies of the school for 12 years and currently holds the position as general secretary of the school and head of secondary school.

Dionis first engaged with the IBSC community at the 1995 IBSC Annual Conference at the City of London School (United Kingdom). Since then he has participated in IBSC Annual Conferences, regional conferences, online classes, and research programs. He has presented a workshop on one of the topics that he considers essential for education: the priority of parents and teachers to educate children together. Dionis organized at his school the first regional conference on the European continent: The Family-School Relationship. He officially joined the IBSC board of trustees in 2018; he collaborates with the Membership Committee especially for the European continent and Spanish-speaking countries. Dionis has been the coordinator of the team that prepared the 2020 IBSC Annual Conference scheduled at Viaró Global School, focusing on the theme Connecting the Dots: Boys, Communities, and the Future. What would have been the first IBSC Annual Conference held in a Mediterranean country, unfortunately had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. Highlighting his dedication and resilience, Dionis is currently leading the team working for the 2024 IBSC Annual Conference at Viaró. (Mark your calendar now!)

Throughout his career and everything he does, Dionis has demonstrated a constant and active concern for the defense and promotion of the educational model for boys, especially in Spanish-speaking countries and globally.

Margot Long

2020 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Honoree

An English teacher by trade, Margot Long has taught at nearly all grades in different schools, from year six to year 12. For the past 14 years, she has worked as deputy head of academics and staff learning at St. John's Preparatory School (South Africa). Margot first experienced the IBSC Action Research Program as a member of the 2008-09 team, researching the topic, “How can programs that promote safe, just, and inclusive classroom and school environments improve the learning experience for boys?” Her research report focused on programs that combat bullying in schools.

Participating on the global research team proved such a wonderful experience and making so many new friends that Margot decided to stay on, first as a team advisor and then as the program coordinator. She finds it easy to keep in touch across the world and says there is nothing better than hearing news from a team member or meeting up at the IBSC Annual Conference. The special friendships Margot established with the other four team advisors and her mentor Di Laycock have enriched her life, both professionally and personally. She has also learned so much about the importance of action research in schools to enable us to continue reviewing best practice in educating boys.

In July 2020, Margot will step down as program coordinator for the IBSC Action Research program. While we will miss her dearly, her legacy of leadership will live on through her fellow team leaders. We wish her well in her next adventure!

Minna Shulman

2019 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Honoree

Dean of Students Minna Shulman retires this summer after 20 years at Selwyn House School (Canada). She moved to Canada in the late ‘80s from New York City where she headed programs and services for domestic violence victims, their abusers, and their children.

In the spirit of Tony Jarvis and Richard Hawley, Shulman’s written job description (given to her by beloved Headmaster Hal Hannaford) ensures the entire Selwyn House community feels known and loved. Her unwritten job description is to mind everyone’s business. In this area, she excels. A social worker and counselor by training, Shulman has always loved children—especially those who do not always comply, generally sees several sides of most issues, and keenly finds ways to support others.

From the first IBSC regional conference she attended, something clicked. Shulman quickly became involved in other regional conferences, joined the board of trustees in 2011, and helped facilitate the Mastery in Teaching Boys Workshops at the Buckley School (United States) and Eton College (United Kingdom). During her time as the head of the IBSC Research Committee, she worked with the committee on projects involving relational teaching, frameworks for character education, situational judgment assessments for faculty, and the framework for creating a sex-positive and boy-positive sexual citizenship curriculum. In 2017, Shulman and a team from Selwyn House hosted their first IBSC regional conference: Enhancing Boys’ Lives Through the Arts. The success of this conference gave them the confidence to bid to host the 2019 IBSC Annual Conference.

Besides checking up on IBSC and Selwyn House, Shulman has no set plans for what she will do during her retirement. She will surely be spending more time with her wonderful family—especially her three adorable grandchildren, Mo, Jo, and Lou!

John Green

2018 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Honoree

For the past 18 years, John Green has taught and coached at St. Christopher’s School (United States). Working with upper school boys of all levels — both inside and outside the classroom — he relishes the opportunity to build relationships that are meaningful and long lasting. As the Upper School Associate Dean of Students, Green has developed grade-level programming focused on providing a “whole boy” educational experience, asking boys to consider how they can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

In 2013, after a decade of directing a summer leadership program for students from the Richmond, Virginia area, Green developed and directed the first IBSC Student Forum, held at St. Christopher’s School. Bringing together more than 30 boys from five continents, accompanied by adult mentors, the forum focused on civic engagement and citizen leadership. He continued to support the IBSC Student Forum as a codirector, adult mentor, and its final coordinator.

A graduate of one of the few remaining all-male colleges in the United States, Green personally understands and values the positive experiences offered by a single-sex learning environment. Keenly aware of the power of creating new relationships, he believes we must provide boys opportunities to see the world from different perspectives by meeting and connecting with others — often different from themselves. He feels it is through these relationships that our boys can discover avenues to initiate and institute positive change in their own communities and around the globe.

Green thanks his family and St. Christopher’s School for their constant support throughout his career.

David Anderson

2017 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Honoree

Watch the video of the award presentation.

Since 1980, David Anderson has devoted himself to educating boys in a single-sex environment at Shore School (Australia). A geography teacher, Anderson served as Senior Boarding Housemaster and Boarding Housemaster for 25 years, and on the School Executive for 15 years.

In 1995, he led his first IBSC Annual Conference workshop, continuing to present workshops at 17 more conferences! Anderson hosted the 10th Coalition Annual Conference at Shore School in 2003 and served on the IBSC Board of Trustees 2003-13, including three years as Vice President Australasia.

Anderson has promoted boys’ education across Australia and globally. He has conducted four IBSC Regional Conferences at Shore School, introduced many international guest speakers to member schools throughout Australia and New Zealand, and boosted IBSC membership.

He strongly believes in the broad experiences boys can gain in a single-sex environment in and out of the classroom. Anderson has actively engaged in rugby, cricket, and rowing. For boys to enjoy the classroom, he believes teachers must prepare well, enjoy a sense of humor, and positively recognize individual boys.

Anderson thanks his wife Gail and their three sons Adam, Matthew, and James for their constant, unwavering support throughout his rich career.

Brad Adams
2016 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Honoree

In recognition of his outstanding work and long-time partnership with the IBSC, the 2016 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Award was presented to Brad Adams at the 2016 IBSC Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Brad was educated in Canada and the United Kingdom. He began his school career at Upper Canada College (UCC) in Toronto as a teacher of history and English, a boarding housemaster, a director in the Little Theatre, and a hockey coach. After a stint in administration at the University of Toronto, he returned to UCC in 1992 and served as Director of Admission, then Vice Principal, and later Head of the Upper School, in addition to teaching, He became a trustee of the IBSC in 2004. From 2006 to 2014, he served as Executive Director of the IBSC. He is currently Director of Education at CIRCLE – the Centre for Innovation, Research, Creativity, and Leadership in Education, in Australia.

Di Laycock
2015 IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Honoree

The inaugural IBSC Hawley-Jarvis Award was bestowed upon Dianne Patricia Laycock for her 10 years of masterful leadership and guidance of the IBSC Action Research Program. Di has identified and generated informed reflection and discussion of best practices in boys’ education by representative teams from more than 15 countries and, in the process, inspired educators and enriched the quality of boys’ education around the world. Di performed these duties out of a profound sense of service to the ideals of collaboration and devotion to those who know and love boys. Di Laycock’s example of servant leadership reflects the qualities of the namesakes of the award and brings great credit to her and the schools her work has enriched.