‘Live Every Week Like It’s Shark Week’ is Topic of 2023 David Astle Memorial Lecture

Dehart will address students on the morning of April 6, in a talk titled ‘Live Every Week Like It’s Shark Week.’

Following the student assembly, Dehart will also visit a handful of classes, host a Q&A for interested students and enjoy lunch with students as well.

Dehart currently serves as the President and CEO of Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, FL, a world-class facility that promotes the conservation of ocean ecosystems with a special focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles.  Prior to joining Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Dehart served as the Vice President of Animal Husbandry and Marine Conservation at the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami, FL. Prior to that, he spent much of his early career at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

He is perhaps most known for his role as a Shark Advisor for the Discovery Channel, a position he landed due to his extensive knowledge of sharks. He has appeared on all national news networks and was featured in seven Shark Week productions for the Discovery Channel.

After graduating from Severn School in 1991, Dehart went on to earn a bachelor's degree in science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Prior David Astle Memorial Lecture Series speakers include Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of New York Times bestseller How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success (2019), Celine Cousteau, documentary film director and producer (2015); Buzz Aldrin ‘46, former astronaut and author (2014), and Corporal William ‘Kyle’ Carpenter, a medically retired U.S. Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010 (2017).

John and Jayne Astle established an endowment fund in 1998 after the tragic accidental death of their son David Sheridan Astle. A 1992 Severn School alumnus, David was an active member of the school community during his seven years as a student, and a well-liked member of the alumni body.  He told his mother shortly before his death that he felt he had developed life-long friends while at Severn School. He realized Severn taught him more than the basics of education; Severn School helped develop his character by encouraging his own innate sense of integrity, responsibility, honor, and commitment. 

The David Astle Memorial Endowment funds the annual lecture series through which knowledgeable and/or inspirational speakers are invited to share their expertise, experiences, and messages with the community. To learn more about the lecture series and the endowment fund, visit this page.