About Me.

Danica Tisdale Fisher, Ph.D., is an educational leader,

scholar, and advocate for girls’ education who serves as

Director of the National Center for Girls’ Leadership at

Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in

Princeton, New Jersey. In this role, she leads the Center’s

work to develop girls and young women as confident,

capable, and purpose-driven leaders, overseeing K–12

leadership curriculum, the Leadership Endorsement

Program, student mentorship, and partnerships that expand

opportunities for girls to lead, create, and make meaningful

change. Her work is grounded in the "Cor Cordis" belief that

leadership is not simply a set of skills, but a practice

developed through rigorous learning, meaningful relationships, reflection,

and opportunities to exercise agency in the world.
 

Danica brings more than 15 years of experience spanning independent schools and higher education, with a career focused on leadership development, curriculum, student experience, and institutional change. Before joining Stuart, she served as Dean of Inclusion and Belonging at St. Andrew’s School, where she was a member of the senior administrative team and developed programs and curriculum centered on leadership, identity, community, and student success. Previously, she served as Director of Summer Sessions at the University of California, Davis, and held leadership roles in higher education at Yale University and other institutions.

She earned a Ph.D. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Emory University, an M.A. in English from Temple University, and a B.A. in English from Spelman College. She also holds a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School. A fourth-generation educator, Danica is particularly interested in how schools can prepare girls to navigate an increasingly complex world with intellectual courage, self-knowledge, vision, and the capacity to shape what comes next.
 

Beyond her professional work, Danica is a wife, mother of two, and an active community leader. She serves on the board of Red Clay Yoga and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; The Links, Incorporated; and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Together, these roles reflect her deep commitment to service, leadership development, and building communities rooted in purpose and belonging.