The Woodberry Podcast

Ted Blain came to Woodberry Forest in 1982, where five years later he became chairman of the English Department, a position that he held for more than 30 years. During his tenure at Woodberry, he held the Rufus W. Higginbotham Mastership, 1984-87; the James C. Ambler Chair of English, 1987-2020; and won the George O'Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 1990, 2002, and 2011. Ted is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and holds a graduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Dr. John P.N. Austin became Deerfield Academy’s 56th Head of School in July of 2019. Prior to Deerfield, Dr. Austin served as Headmaster at King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan, and before that as Academic Dean at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, where he joined the faculty in 1987.A graduate of Williams College, Dr. Austin holds a Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy, and Doctoral degrees in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University, along with a Master’s degree from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College.via Deer...

Frazier Stowers ’04 serves as the co-dean of students for the 3rd and 4th forms and director of Woodberry Forest Sports Camp. Frazier has a long-standing relationship with the Sports Camp, having attended as a boy in the late ’90s, later serving as a counselor and assistant director from 2005 to 2015, and then co-director in 2017 when the camp celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Frazier’s appointment as director in 2024 marks an exciting moment and a journey coming full circle. Byron and Frazier sat down to reflect on how Sports Camp went this summer.

Closing out the 2023-2024 school year, Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86 sits down with senior prefect Mike Guevara Miranda to discuss his time at Woodberry. Mike is from Mexico City and came to Woodberry as a fourth former in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike’s leadership potential was immediately obvious, so it came as no surprise when he was named a prefect going into his sixth-form year. He also achieved an even greater accomplishment, being voted senior prefect by his peers, the first international student to be named to that position in the long history of the school. As a sc...

via virginia.eduBrad Wilcox is Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Future of Freedom Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. The author of Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization (Harper Collins, 2024), Wilcox studies marriage, fatherhood, and the impact of strong and stable families on men, women, and children.Professor Wilcox is the author and coauthor of six books and has written for scientific journals such as...

On the newest episode of the Woodberry Podcast, Headmaster Byron Hulsey ’86 visits with Gray Robertson ’16. Growing up, Gray attended multiple SEC championships, SEC men’s basketball tournaments, Final Fours, and national championship games. Going to those events spawned his love for sports broadcasting and gave him a chance to meet most of his announcing heroes. As one of the founding members of WFSPN, Gray was able to pursue his love of broadcasting during his time at Woodberry. He graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2020 and currently does work for Crimson Tide Sports Network, SEC Network+, 90.7 WVUA FM, and Cr...

In August 2023, Debra P. Wilson began her tenure as the ninth president of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). From 2019 until 2023, Wilson served as president of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), where she led the organization through a period of growth and supported school leaders in her region through the COVID-19 pandemic. Her SAIS role followed 19 years at NAIS, first as assistant director of regulatory affairs and later as general counsel. In that capacity, she oversaw regulatory and advocacy work for the organization, supported schools in crises, advanced best practices in governance, and created dozens of...

Tracey Nibblins has been a member of the WFS Faculty since 1999. He was born and raised in neighboring Culpeper, VA., and oversees the Leonard W. Dick Gymnasium housekeeping and equipment staff.

Abbie Mills is the assistant headmaster for academic affairs. She most recently taught engineering and the ECLIPSE program and coached JV football and developmental track.She came to Woodberry in 2016 after a career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she was a senior project engineer and project manager specializing in fuel cell systems. Ms. Mills holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University.

Catherine Wharton is Woodberry’s assistant headmaster for external affairs, overseeing all development operations. She joined the faculty in 2007. A graduate of Roanoke College, she has worked in development at the University of Virginia, Hollins University, and Garrison Forest School. Byron and Catherine sit down to discuss Catherine's unique background, her journey in the world of development, and reflect on the impressive campaigns that she has led during her time at the school.

C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. ’85 has extensive work experience in various roles related to policy and government affairs. Verdery founded and served as the CEO of Monument Advocacy, a bipartisan firm focused on providing strategic advice on public policy engagement. Before that, he was a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, specializing in homeland security and counterterrorism. C. Stewart also worked as a Partner at Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti and was the Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, they have served in legislative counsel roles for U.S. Senators an...

Matt Boesen serves on the faculty in the history department. He came to Woodberry in 2001 and became dean of faculty in 2015. He designed and currently teaches Woodberry’s third-form history course, Stories and Histories.Dr. Boesen earned an AB from Yale University and an MA and PhD from the University of Virginia. In 2006 the John Marshall Foundation honored his work with its teaching award, presented annually to one Virginia high school teacher to recognize excellence in teaching the Constitution.

Charley Stillwell ’81 currently serves as the Head of School at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. After graduating from WFS in 1981, he received his bachelor's degree in American History with honors from Princeton University, where he also played lacrosse, and later earned his master's degree in American History from Brown University. Byron visits with Charley to discuss what it was like growing up at Woodberry Forest, his journey as an educator, and of course...The Game.

Lisa Wright teaches music and directs Woodberry’s strings program. She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. Before coming to Woodberry in 2010, she spent many years performing and teaching in New York City and serving in college administration. Ms. Wright is a founding member of The Bloom Trio and regularly performs with the Roanoke Symphony, Opera Roanoke, the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival, and the Chamber Orchestra of Charlottesville.

Dr. Byron Hulsey hosts John Amos, who serves as Woodberry's chaplain. A lifelong resident of Orange, he taught for twenty-four years at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville before coming to Woodberry Forest in 2008. Mr. Amos earned a BA from the University of Virginia. He is also a freelance writer and the author of a collection of essays, Every Now and Then.

Jackson Matteo is a three-time graduate of the University of Virginia, where he played football from 2012-2016 and served as team captain in 2016. Since then, he served the University of Virginia football program as a graduate assistant coach, working with the defensive backs and the offensive line from 2017-2019 before coming to Woodberry in 2021. Jackson finished his doctorate of education (Ed.D) in Spring 2023 through the UVA School of Education and Human Development, where his research focused on the transition experiences of Black Division-I football players who experience a redshirt freshman year at a predominantly white institution. Currently, Jackson...

Jim Reid served on Woodberry's faculty for 48 years, retiring in the spring of 2023. A graduate of Albion College and Duke University, Mr. Reid taught biology, was instrumental in the vision for the Manning Science Building, was heavily involved in WFS Outdoors, was a devoted advisor, and is an active member in the greater Madison County area. Dr. Byron Hulsey ’86 visits with Jim to discuss why it is that Jim stayed at WFS for so long and what impact WFS has had on his life as he enters retirement.

Dr. Byron Hulsey ’86 sits down with Robbie Handelsman ’23 to discuss what it was like growing up on campus, attending, and then graduating from Woodberry Forest. Robbie is currently a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a member of the track and field team.