MSDA Announces New Dean of Academics, Laura Hollenbaugh

Mount St. Dominic Academy has named Laura Hollenbaugh as the new Dean of Academics. In this role, Ms. Hollenbaugh will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school, with special focus on the academic progress of the students and the review and development of curriculum scope and sequence. She will also work in conjunction with the faculty to drive improvements in classroom delivery and student outcomes.

Ms. Hollenbaugh joins the Mount from Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, where she most recently served as the Assistant Principal for Academics, a position she has held since Fall 2017. From 2013 to 2018, Ms. Hollenbaugh was a school counselor to the Don Bosco community of more than 850 young men. She began her career with the school in the classroom as a Social Studies teacher, a role she held from September 2008 to June 2015, and briefly returned to for the spring semester of 2019. 

“In her 12 years at Don Bosco, Laura has developed key insights and a level of expertise in several key facets of education – from the classroom, to counseling, to academic leadership,” remarked Sister Frances Sullivan, head of school for Mount St. Dominic Academy. “In addition to both schools’ dedication to academic rigor, there are several parallels between the Mount and Don Bosco - a school conducted in the charism of St. John Bosco – including complementary missions of empowering young people with an understanding they will go on to make the world a better place. Laura’s leadership and commitment to education driven by mission, make her uniquely qualified to lead our school into its next chapter. We are so excited to welcome Laura to the Mount.”  

“To now be in a single-gender school with young women is exhilarating for me, both personally and professionally, and I am eager to embrace the collective power of these young women, to support them in a process of authentic self-discovery, and to help them capitalize on their strengths to become change agents in a world that really needs them,” remarked Ms. Hollenbaugh on becoming part of the Mount community. “Despite the current barriers we face to making personal connections, I feel genuinely and warmly received, and I am grateful for this opportunity to be part of such an exceptional learning community. I look forward to building collaborative and meaningful relationships with our Mount faculty, students, and families.”  

Ms. Hollenbaugh earned her Masters in Educational Leadership from St. Peter’s University in 2019, her Masters in School Counseling from Seton Hall University in 2013, and her Bachelors in Psychology from Columbia University in 1993. She also maintains several academic and administrative certifications in the state of New Jersey including the Principal Certificate of Eligibility, Director of School Counseling Services, Supervisor, and School Counselor. An avid runner, Ms. Hollenbaugh resides in Ramsey, New Jersey, and is the very proud mother of three independent and uniquely talented young men.