By Annabella Dunn ’25 and Kristen Wharton ’25
As 2024-2025 school year begins and Ursuline embarks on its 151st year, there are exciting transitions taking place within the Ursuline leadership, and Dr. Andrea Shurley and Ms. Elizabeth Smith are settling well into their new roles.
Serving as Ursuline’s principal from 2014-2024, Dr. Shurley is stepping into a new role this school year, President of Ursuline Academy, and Ms. Smith is temporarily serving as Ursuline’s interim principal.
In her back-to-school message, Dr. Shurley happily reflected on her journey this past summer, stating: “Summer allowed [her] time to contemplate and plan… As August arrived, one of the first questions [she] heard was, “What’s in store for Ursuline’s next 150 years?”
Dr. Shurley came to Ursuline after eleven years in teaching and administration with the Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco, California. Before her educational career began, she worked in the technology sector, building a successful career first in Austin and then in Silicon Valley.
At the University of Texas at Austin, Dr Shurley received her BA in English. She also earned her MA in English at Texas State University-San Marcos and completed her Doctor of Education degree in Catholic Educational Leadership at the University of San Francisco.
Serving as Ursuline’s Dean of Academics from 2016-2024, Ms. Smith has been an essential member of Ursuline’s administration team. She introduced a new faculty evaluation process including student-centered scheduling, which has had a significant impact on the school’s academic environment.
Ms. Smith stated in her “Letter from the Dean of Academics” that, “Ursuline offers many wonderful courses and one of the things that I love most about the school is that every student can pursue a path that is right for her, and along that route we provide support to your daughters in many ways.”
She has also worked with Ursuline’s teachers and faculty to embrace research on how girls acquire knowledge best in a classroom environment.
Prior to her career at Ursuline, Ms. Smith held various positions over nine years at her alma mater, The Hockaday School. She was the director of the International Program, Chair of English Speakers of Other Languages Department, and first Director of Global Educations.
After graduating from Hockaday and growing up in Dallas, Ms. Smith received her BA in French and Art History from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Ms. Smith’s graduate studies started at Brown University, and she earned her MA in Linguistics/Teaching English as Another Language from the University of North Texas.
In January of last school year, shortly after her new position was announced, Ms. Smith said: “I am both honored and delighted to serve as Ursuline’s Interim Principal next year… working with our students and this entire community brings me much joy, and I look forward to serving the school in this new role.” Her enthusiasm is echoes by Dr. Shurley, who said “[Ms. Smith] is a deeply caring professional who loves these girls and fully supports our school and mission,”
“I am so pleased that Elizabeth has agreed to serve as our Interim Principal next school year. Working closely with her over the past eight years has been such a pleasure.” Dr. Shurley said. “She will ensure a smooth learning experience and continued growth in all the areas of focus that she and I have built up together.”
The mission of Ursuline Academy is: “the total development of the individual student through spiritual formation, intellectual growth, service to others, and building of community,” and there is no doubt that Dr. Shurley and Ms. Smith will continue to live up to and pursue the Ursuline mission statement for many years to come.
THE BEAR FACTS 