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Dr. Laura A. Ryblewski is a higher education leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing student success, academic advising, and retention initiatives across diverse university settings. As the inaugural Assistant Dean for Student Success in the College of Communication and Media, she provides strategic leadership for the College’s student-centered ecosystem, overseeing academic and career advising, enrollment and retention efforts, first-year experience initiatives, outreach campaigns, and student engagement programs.

A proud two-time Montclair State University alumna, Dr. Ryblewski returns to her alma mater after serving as Associate Director of the Advisement Center at William Paterson University. In that role, she managed a large team of professional advisors, focusing on retention and student engagement initiatives, cross-campus partnerships, Peer Leaders, major/minor exploration, and career-community alignment. Prior to WPU, she served as Assistant Dean for Academic Services at Rutgers University–Newark for 14 years, overseeing advising operations, early-alert systems, and student success and retention strategies across multiple academic units.

Throughout her career, Laura has been deeply committed to building supportive, data-informed structures that help students persist, thrive, and graduate. Her leadership spans academic advising, policy development, assessment, professional staff supervision, orientation, large-scale communication strategy, and program design that elevate belonging, engagement, and holistic well-being. She is also an active contributor to professional organizations and conferences, including NACADA, where she showcases models of collaborative success and student-centered programming.

Dr. Ryblewski earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Management, with a concentration in Higher Education, from Drexel University. She also holds an M.A. in Counseling and Human Services with a concentration in Higher Education, and a B.A. in Speech and Theatre with a minor in Musical Theatre, both from Montclair State University.

Guided by Montclair’s motto Carpe Diem, Laura is committed to creating a Student Success Center where every student in the College of Communication and Media feels supported, connected, and empowered to seize opportunities that enrich their academic, professional, and personal journey.