Principal Elect
Dr. Robert Van der Waag
M
r. Marco J. Clark ‘85, President/CEO, announced the
appointment of Dr. Robert Van der Waag as Principal for the
2013-2014 academic year, effective July 1, 2013. He replaces
interim Principal, Mr. Reginald L. Brady, who will resume his former role
as Associate Principal/Dean of Students.
Dr. Van der Waag presently serves as the Campus
Minister of Mission at Bishop McNamara. His trust is
to infuse the charism of the Holy Cross by coordinating
Bishop McNamara’s retreat and liturgical programs
for faculty, staff, and students, supervising the school’s
Outreach Program to the poor and marginalized, and
directing its Peer Ministry Program. Besides overseeing
four Kairos rertreats throughout the year, Dr. Van der
Waag coordinates the Junior Day Retreat, visits to the
Romero Center in Camden, New Jersey and the annual
trip to Appalachia to work with the residents of that
region. Most recently, he participated in the March
for Life with 70 BMHS students and students from
two Holy Cross schools, Hoban and St. Edward’s High
Schools, both located in Ohio.
Beyond his passionate desire to minister to the Bishop
McNamara community, Dr. Van der Waag serves as a
Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Chaplain-inResidence at Georgetown University. He currently teaches introductory
and upper level religion classes.
Dr. Van der Waag graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor
of Arts in Government and Theology, earned his Master's of Theological
Studies at Duke University Divinity School, and received his Ph.D. in
Systematic Theology from Duquesne University. Currently, he is finishing
a Post-Master’s Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration
at The George Washington University.
An accomplished speaker and noted presenter, Dr. Van der Waag has
delivered numerous academic presentations at universities that include
St. John’s, Rutgers, and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. In
the classroom, Dr. Van der Waag has taught extensively for fifteen years
at both the collegiate and high school levels. For his teaching excellence,
the Department of Theology at Duquesne University honored him with its
Teacher of the Year award in 2006 and the College of Arts and Sciences at
Georgetown University named him a finalist for its Professor of the Year
award in 2009. At the secondary level, Dr. Van der Waag has taught a
wide range of courses in social studies and religion including International
Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge and IB World Religions, where he
served as a pilot instructor. In December, Dr. Van der Waag was selected as
a Claes Nobel Educator with Distinction, a special program of the National
Society of High School Scholars that honors educators worldwide.
Dr. Van der Waag’s call to ministry and vocation to teach
began at a young age and was strongly influenced by his
Catholic faith. While a student at Georgetown, he took
classes by a Carmelite priest who ministered to those in
poverty and that led to his interest in serving the poor.
As a student, he became director for D.C. Schools Project
where he taught ESL classes to children in impoverished
areas around the city. He also became an active member
in the Campus Ministry program at Georgetown,
AGAPE, and, in 1995, spent the summer working at a
Bosnian orphanage.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Van der Waag may be found
on the baseball diamond as an assistant coach for the
BMHS Mustangs. Recruited to play college ball, he enjoys
the sport at the high school, collegiate and professional
levels. Besides athletics, he enjoys the fine arts and
reading during his time outside the classroom. On his nightstand, you
may find Emporer of the Maladies, Power of Habit, Fiery Trial, My Life With
the Saints, and Becoming Part of America. Dr. Van der Waag will celebrate
a special day on April 20, 2013 when he weds his fiancée, Julie Marchick.
Dr. Van der Waag’s vision of leadership is commensurate with Bishop
McNamara’s mission to graduate men and women who want to transform
the world through Being Family, Building Respect, Educating Minds
and Hearts, and Bringing Hope. Dr. Van der Waag looks forward to the
opportunity to work with the Board of Directors, President, the Moreau
Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross, alumni, administration,
faculty, staff, and parents to inspire Bishop McNamara’s high achieving
students to lead lives of individual integrity so that they may become
servant leaders within the church and to the wider world.
Dr. Van der Waag’s appointment concludes an extensive search and
interview process that included members of the school faculty, staff,
administrators, parents, alumni, and a private educational consultant.
Spring 2013 MUSTANG MESSENGER 5
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