Head of School

James Hickey, Ph.D.

James Hickey, Ph.D. has been a teacher for more than thirty years with experience working in independent, Catholic, boarding, and public secondary schools. The tenth Head of Austin Prep, Dr. Hickey came to Austin Prep in July 2013 after serving as the Dean of Academic Affairs at The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey.

An educator who has held several senior leadership roles in secondary schools, Dr. Hickey has been a leader in educational change for most of his professional career. In 2009, Dr. Hickey was named the New Jersey Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) for his work in transforming one of the largest public high schools in the nation. He was recognized for his work by the United States Secretary of Education and the New Jersey Commissioner of Education.

Since arriving at Austin Prep, Dr. Hickey successfully brought to completion two strategic plans and is currently leading the School through its third five-year strategic plan. Under his leadership, Austin Prep has experienced capacity enrollment, an increase in the number of teaching faculty, and innovation in academic offerings and student experiences outside the classroom.  During his tenure, Austin Prep has invested more than $22 million in facility modernization and upgrades.

A Knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Dr. Hickey was recognized by the National Catholic Education Association in 2025 for outstanding achievement in support of Catholic education. He has presented numerous times at the Annual Conference of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to share his experiences with leadership and governance with other educators. Dr. Hickey has also led Visiting Committees for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges - Commission on Independent Schools (NEASC-CIS) to support member schools in their accreditation process.