
Dawn S. Medley, associate vice president of enrollment management at Wayne State University, will become Stony Brook University’s vice provost of enrollment management.
Medley’s appointment, effective July 15, was announced by Paul M. Goldbart, Stony Brook’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“Dawn’s commitment to helping students succeed by implementing new ideas and programs made her a particularly strong candidate,” said Goldbart. “I enthusiastically welcome her to the leadership team, as we work together to recruit and retain talented graduate and undergraduate students from around the state, country and world.”
Medley will lead the university’s efforts to implement state-of-the-art enrollment strategies at the undergraduate and graduate levels and develop strategies that expand Stony Brook’s competitive edge across the United States and internationally.
In this role, Medley will provide strong leadership to continue Stony Brook’s commitment to education as a vehicle for upward social mobility through access and financial aid packages designed to have maximum impact.
A first-generation student and Pell Grant recipient, Medley has a strong commitment to access to education and understands intimately the challenges facing these student populations. Her background is particularly important for Stony Brook, which is deeply committed to empowering upward social mobility through educational opportunities.
Medley comes to Stony Brook with more than 25 years of experience in student recruitment, enrollment management and financial aid administration. She has worked at institutions ranging from small private colleges to major land-grant research universities.
During her five years at Wayne State, Medley led the effort to realign aid and scholarship budgets to support the university’s strategic goals; expanded recruitment efforts through collaboration with community organizations; implemented advanced technologies and an expanded customer-relationship management system; and placed a special emphasis on adult reengagement and debt mitigation, building a national model for such programs through Wayne State’s Warrior Way Back initiative.
She and her team created a last-dollar tuition program that provided full tuition and fee support to half of the university’s incoming class. This Heart of Detroit initiative, paired with new student recruitment strategies, contributed to a 55-percent increase in Black enrollment and a 17-percent increase in Latina and Latino enrollment in the freshman class in one year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, their efforts led to the expansion of the incoming class by nearly a quarter and recruited and enrolled the three largest freshmen classes in WSU’s history.
“I share Stony Brook’s deep commitment to access and student success, and I am eager to begin working with the Enrollment Management team and the rest of the university community to strengthen efforts to recruit and retain the best students into our undergraduate, graduate, and professional and continuing education programs,” said Medley. “Stony Brook has a compelling mission and role in society, and I look forward to being a part of it.”
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