Tech Trailblazer Tim Corica P’03 ’08 Set to Retire

Head of School Ed Potter made a pivotal decision in 1982 that forever altered Tim Corica’s career.

Despite Corica’s relatively brief tenure at the school, Potter approved a sabbatical for him to pursue computer science studies. The decision proved to be a game-changer.

The ripple effects of Corica’s sabbatical were profound. They paved the way for groundbreaking initiatives at Peddie, notably the launch of the school’s first AP Computer Science class in 1983. Additionally, they positioned Peddie as a leader in technology integration in education during the early 1990s. Corica spearheaded initiatives like establishing a campus-wide network and introducing email, setting Peddie apart from many other high schools at the time.

Corica’s early influence extended beyond the classroom, as evidenced by his authorship of programming textbooks and newsletters tailored for high school computer science teachers, alongside his service on the AP Computer Science test committee.

Reflecting on those formative years, he reminisced, “We were making noise for a while.”

In 1994, Corica became director of academic computing. He oversaw the distribution of laptops to select students and faculty as part of the school’s innovative Principio Project, which paved the way for the broader implementation of laptops in the community.

The Peddie Laptop Plan in 1998, in which Peddie issued a laptop to every student, showcased Corica’s visionary leadership. Recalling the momentous occasion, he marveled, “I held in my hand a purchase order for a million dollars … Unbelievable!”

The initiative garnered national attention, solidifying Peddie’s reputation as a trailblazer in technology-driven education. “Most schools were like, ‘You have to buy a laptop, here’s one of the models you can buy.’ And we were like, ‘No, we are giving you a laptop as part of your tuition.’ That was an amazing thing. Those were exciting, heady times,” Corica said.

Amidst rapid technological advancements, Corica still emphasizes preserving human exchange in the classroom, especially as tools like AI gain prominence. “Interaction is at the heart of the educational experience,” he said. 

“It’s the small exclamations, the shifting of students in chairs, the shared emotion when something interesting or  surprising comes up. For the foreseeable future, that’s an experience that a machine-based tool can’t hope to provide.”

Corica’s journey at Peddie dates back to 1979 after he graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry. His initial exposure to Peddie during a summer teaching stint in 1978 sparked his interest in the school’s inclusive environment.

Corica remembered, “One of the attractive qualities of Peddie was the comfort I felt as a public school graduate who knew little about independent schools. It didn’t feel stuffy or highfalutin. I could walk into the cafeteria and feel welcome at any table.”

Peddie continued to play a significant role in Corica’s life. His two sons are alumni, and in 1981, he married his  wife, Maryanne Ruggiero, in Ayer Memorial Chapel, with students and employees as guests and a cake reception in the dining hall.

Over the years, Corica’s impact on Peddie has been profound. He served in various roles, including math department chair for a combined 20-plus years, a nine-year tenure as the director of technology, four years as dean of faculty, and, most recently, chair of the STM (Science, Technology and Mathematics) Research and Development Group.

The year 2001 stands out in Corica’s memory, as it marked his appointment as dean of faculty alongside the arrival of Head of School John Green and Associate Head of School Catherine Rodrigue, coinciding with the tragic events of September 11th. “Our first week of school was 9/11,” he recalled. “It was John and Catherine’s first week here and my first week as dean of faculty.”

Reflecting on her collaboration with Corica, Rodrigue said, “I loved collaborating with Tim and always sought his advice, and still do.” She added, “Early on, Tim and I worked with data and surveys, and Tim provided me with a statistician’s caution. To this day, I don’t completely trust my first impressions of data, or people.”

Corica’s dedication to fostering curiosity among his students has remained steadfast throughout his four-decade tenure. “I’m always curious about the world, and I share that with my students,” he said. “I want students to be so excited about what they’ve experienced in class that they bring it up that evening at the family dinner table. I want them to have that same curiosity about the world that I do. And math is a way of understanding the world.”

Rodrigue praised Corica’s commitment to innovation in the classroom. “Tim is brilliant, but he’s also humble, and that humility makes him infinitely creative in how he manages his classroom, how he works with students and how he connects with students,” Rodrigue said. “Tim makes everyone around him better thinkers and better people.”

His impact is evident in the profound effect on students like Beth Strum ’94, now the director of business development at Compass, Inc., who recalled Corica’s influence as her computer science teacher. Strum said Corica instilled in her a distinctive analytical approach that continues to influence her three decades later. “Through science, you learn problem-solving skills, and getting unexpected results is considered a learning opportunity,” she said. “Computer science is like that, only sometimes a lot faster. But then it’s also a puzzle you have to solve. Where did you code it wrong? How do you fix it? Mr. Corica made learning to code fun.”

Despite the passage of time and life’s demands, Strum noted that she and Corica maintain contact. She said, “Lives get busy, but I will never forget my awesome comp sci teacher, Mr. Corica!”

Former Peddie Trustee George Chen ’84 attests to Corica’s influence, which propelled him toward engineering and computer science degrees at Brown University. Recalling their time together in Corica’s inaugural AP Computer Science class, Chen reminisced about the early morning sessions in the computer lab. He shared, “Tim had an extremely busy year, but I could sense he enjoyed learning and seeing us learn. I have followed this life lesson ever since- to do what you love, and no matter how hard, there will be joy.”

Brendan Houle ’02, now a software engineer at ESPN, echoed these sentiments. “Tim fostered our curiosity and encouraged us to explore our ideas further, and in so doing, he imbued us with the joy of discovery,” he said.

As Corica bids farewell to Peddie, he leaves a legacy of curiosity, passion and dedication. His retirement marks not an end but a new beginning- an opportunity for exploration, learning and creativity.

“I feel like I’m 22 and just graduating college,” Corica mused. “Suddenly, there is an opportunity to do the writing projects I haven’t been able to get done, to take classes at Princeton, and go to those lectures at Princeton that I see but can’t attend because I have school the next day.”