Cheri Poellot, previously the assistant director of CRM administration and special projects in the Graduate School and International Education, has been promoted to GSIE's director of admissions and enrollment management following a national search, effective Nov. 7.

In her new role, Poellot leads the unit's enrollment management team and its efforts to strategically and expeditiously enroll a highly qualified and diverse graduate and international student body. Those efforts include the management of GSIE's customer relationship management software and technology tools, as well as streamlining the application and admissions management process to ensure applications are processed in a timely manner.

"I am honored to represent the Graduate School and International admissions and enrollment team," Poellot said. "Admissions is where it all starts, and our staff is dedicated to supporting students as they start their academic journeys. My goal is for students to have a great first impression of the U of A and to feel like they belong here."

"I am amazed at the level of expertise and effort it takes to support students through the admission process," she added. "To do this, we must also work well with the graduate coordinators and the departments. It is a partnership that I value and is critical in graduate enrollment."

Poellot steps into the director position after seven years as assistant director in GSIE, where she worked across the admissions and recruitment enterprise of the unit, including prospective student communications, project management, data collection and analysis, and training and support. Additionally, she has led an overhaul of the graduate admissions process to increase efficiency and remove barriers for programs.

She dually reports to Christa Hestekin, the associate dean of the graduate school, and Fran Hagstrom, the interim associate dean for international education.

"I am excited to have Cheri in this role," Hestekin said. "As a graduate alumna and long-term employee, she brings both enthusiasm and a familiarity with GSIE that will strengthen our admissions office. She has a great appreciation for the hard work that goes into processing these applications, as well as the importance of the process in the lives of our future graduate students."

"Cheri's deep appreciation for international education has been evident in her time in GSIE," Hagstrom said. "She has shared with me her admiration for our international students and the many steps they go through to finally arrive on campus and fulfill their educational dreams. Cheri in her new role wants to enhance a sense of personal connection between our international scholars who begin their academic journey with an intricate application to the university and her dedicated staff that processes this in preparation for admission."

"I am thrilled that Cheri will be stepping into this crucial role for our unit as we seek to expand our recruiting and admissions efforts," said Curt Rom, interim dean of the Graduate School and International Education. "She brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that will elevate our work as we continue to streamline our admissions processes to better serve our campus."

Poellot holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the U of A, as well as a master's degree in higher education administration from the U of A.