New Academic Dean for IPS

7/26/17

ARLINGTON —Dr. Suzanne Nortier Hollman, associate professor and Co-Director of the Psy.D. Program at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS), Divine Mercy University, has been selected to lead IPS as Academic Dean, effective July 1, 2017. She will succeed Dr. William J. Nordling, who has served as Dean since 2012 and will return full time to the faculty of IPS, providing student supervision and contributing to the work of DMU’s research on integration.

“The Dean must have not only the pertinent academic knowledge, professional competence, and academic administrative experience, but must also demonstrate a deep appreciation for the work of integrating psychology with a Catholic view of the human person,” said Fr. Charles Sikorsky, President of Divine Mercy University. “Suzanne is extraordinarily well suited to be IPS’s next dean, as demonstrated by her history of being a scholar, teacher, colleague, administrator and forward-looking leader.”

Dr. Hollman will take on the duties of Academic Dean and serve as Psy.D. Program Director.  Since 2014, Dr. Hollman has helped guide the Psy.D. Program at IPS to distinction, successfully achieving accreditation by the American Psychological Association in 2016.  Previously, Dr. Hollman has held the positions of Director of Clinical Training, and Director for Academic Tutoring at The Catholic University of America Counseling Center in Washington, D.C.  She was an Assistant Professorial Lecturer, and Assistant Professor  at The George Washington University (GWU) in the Clinical Professional Psychology Program.  Dr. Hollman earned graduate degrees in Clinical Psychology from GWU, and in the History of Medicine, Science and Technology from Oxford University.

“It is with a profound sense of appreciation and enthusiasm for what is possible in the future of IPS that I accept this role,” says Dr. Hollman. “Being a part of the Divine Mercy University community represents a calling to be a part of a common mission that is far greater than any one person. It is the decision to be an instrument of healing to those who suffer, the conviction that all human beings are imbued with dignity, and the recognition that it is a privilege to train others who hold this same commitment.”

In addition to the transition of the Academic Dean, Dr. Lisa Klewicki, a long-standing faculty member of IPS, will support Dr. Hollman in the role of Associate Psy.D. Program Director.  Dr. Philip Scrofani previously shared the title of co-director of the Psy.D. Program with Dr. Hollman and he will be returning to teaching full-time within the Psy.D. program.

“The contributions that Dr. Nordling and Dr. Scrofani have made over the years have enabled the foundation and subsequent flourishing of the programs at IPS,” said Fr. Robert Presutti, Vice President of Academic Affairs.  “Their stepping down from administrative roles will allow them to engage more fully in the mission critical tasks of teaching, faculty and student mentoring, and the further development of the integration model. The entire institution is grateful for their contribution, and for other well-qualified faculty and professional who will take over the reins of academic administrative leadership.”

Dr. Hollman expressed her gratitude to be surrounded by a supportive community of students, faculty, staff and administrators, who are all working toward a common purpose:

“The mission to integrate Faith and Reason takes on a very unique form at IPS. The ever-evolving field of Clinical Psychology, in concert with a rich Catholic-Christian anthropology of how we understand the human person, requires a serious intellectual engagement. It is, however, also a very personal journey for anyone who chooses to take this path. It is especially heartening to observe how many students are choosing to embark on this journey as is evidenced by the growth of DMU.  It is a privilege to be a fellow traveler, and to be a part of an organization that is looking toward the future not in fear, but with hope.”

For more information on Dr. Suzanne Hollman, please visit: https://divinemercy.edu/psy-d-in-clinical-psychology/faculty-2/suzanne-hollman/

For more information on the Institute for the Psychological Sciences at Divine Mercy University, visit: https://divinemercy.edu/psy-d-in-clinical-psychology/

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