With a professional reputation for making the seemingly impossible practical, R. Kyle Jones stands as an accomplished and determined leader in the field of education dedicated to making a difference through empowering faculty and students through an inquiry stance, converting cutting-edge research into practice, and driving educational improvement through data and technology advancements.
Since 2012, Dr. Jones has acted as a Program Director for Information & Technology Services for The Hill School, overseeing a critical program for a leading independent institution in the “Ivy League” of private secondary schools. By effectively aligning operations with end goals, managing staff and resources, maintaining central office and building supervision responsibilities, and keeping the program on a forward-facing trajectory, Dr. Jones has realized notable improvements in both staff and student performance; most notably, he accomplished an impressive turnaround in transforming a flailing department to achieve national recognition for customer service. His presence has been integral to the success of multiple committees and groups, including the Program Review Committee and the STEM-oriented Quadrivium Design and Steering committees, and he is regarded as a trusted advisor and advocate by the School Board.
From 2010 to 2012, Dr. Jones was selected to plan and oversee execution of a new technology program supporting the merger of three academic institutions. Within the Essex Agricultural Technical school district, a combined high school and vocational school as well as a regional school district, Dr. Jones worked closely with the Superintendent to direct multiple projects critical to ensuring the success of the new technology program from initial strategic planning and design architecture to launch. Praised for his consummate integrity and tireless dedication to pursuing excellence in education, Dr. Jones realized timely completion of all program goals while expertly containing costs.
Previously with Lawrence Academy as an Information Systems Manager, Dr. Jones built a technology program from the ground up, introducing long-term plans for enhancing educational and organizational capabilities and impact through exciting new projects; the results were publicized in a national feature article praising the program for its innovation in fostering high performance at low cost. Dr. Jones also contributed as an Instructor with Lawrence Academy, creating an innovative three-term, transdisciplinary course in decision theory.
Continually relied upon to engage his leadership strengths to benefit academically-minded organizations, Dr. Jones has served as a member of committees and councils with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the Pottstown School District, MassCUE, and The EduSophia Foundation. Further, he provided business leadership as Board President of the $14M Sundale Condominium Association.
Having received an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania in early 2016, Dr. Jones excelled in this program designed to boost the efficacy of those experienced in educational leadership and further hone their ambitions for increasingly impactful contributions to the field of education. Engaging in mixed-method research, Dr. Jones passionately blended both quantitative and qualitative practices, most recently in his study within the domain of cognitive and educational psychology, focusing on the impact of multitasking and distraction on both learning and retention. Dr. Jones also recently completed a superintendent certificate program and is a certified superintendent in the State of Pennsylvania.
Well-versed in strategic management and leadership, Dr. Jones holds an MBA with honors from Babson College where he was accepted into the prestigious “Managing the Technology Intensive Enterprise” program and supplemented his business training with education in current pathways for maintaining the competitive edge through technology. His undergraduate education was completed at Harvard College, and he notably studied under many thought leaders, including Dr. David McClelland, an expert on achievement, Dr. Philip Stone, renowned in business psychology, his mentor Dr. Ellen Langer, credited for creating the domain of mindfulness, and Dr. Howard Gardner, creator of the theory of multiple intelligences.
At home, Dr. Jones is an avid practitioner of the art of bonsai and an accomplished jazz trumpet player.
