Science teacher Iain Tyson departs from the Middle School

By Celine Park ’21 and Lauren Cho ’21
Science teacher Iain Tyson will not be returning to the Middle School. Tyson’s students and their parents learned about his departure through an email from Head of Middle School Jon Wimbish on Jan. 8.
Dr. Julie Mayo is presently the permanent teacher for Tyson’s ninth and eighth grade science classes. Mayo went to college at Pomona and received her BA in Biology there, a PhD from MIT and has worked at Caltech.
“Dr. Mayo will be keeping her own grade book, and at the end of the year, students’ second semester grade percentage will be averaged with the first semester grade percentage to produce the year-end cumulative grade,” Wimbish said in a separate email that notified the students and parents.
One of Tyson’s eighth grade students described the transition between the two teachers.
“I was only a little shocked, but also excited to have a new science experience. I was worried about the transition at first, but now I know the deans and teachers have it under control,” Lily Saada ’22 said.
Mayo’s first official day of being the permanent teacher for Tyson’s classes was Wednesday.