The George Washington University has named Costas Solomou, well-known for his management skills and using a data-driven approach for recruitment, as the new dean of undergraduate admissions.
He will start on Aug. 15, as the university begins the recruitment cycle to welcome the class of 2021.
Dr. Solomou is currently the dean of admission and a member of the president’s cabinet at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., where he led a highly-lauded reorganization of the university’s admission structure and practices.
“Costas is an outstanding leader whose student-centered approach will enable us to continue building on our momentum of enrolling a class of high-achieving and diverse first-year and transfer students,” said GW Provost Forrest Maltzman.
Prior to his current position, Dr. Solomou spent most of his career in enrollment management and admissions at the University of Rochester. Through various roles during his nearly 15 years at Rochester, his data-driven and strategic approach to recruitment resulted in significant growth in quality and diversity of enrolling students and expanded the university’s presence beyond a New York-based recruiting market, helping it to become a more nationally recognized school.
"I am thrilled by the opportunity to lead GW’s undergraduate admission efforts,” said Dr. Solomou. “I hope to bring both passion and vision to GW, while inspiring others to become life-long learners."
GW is the largest university in the District of Columbia, with 10 schools, nearly 100 research centers and approximately 25,000 students from across the nation and around the world, including 10,000 undergraduate students.
Undergraduate enrollment at GW has experienced considerable success in recent years, with a significant upward trajectory in student quality and diversity that has paralleled the university’s overall growth in strength and stature.
Through the university’s Access and Success initiative, GW is committed to increasing access to higher education with partnerships with organizations such as the POSSE Foundation and Say Yes to Education. In addition, GW is in its first year of implementation of a test-optional admission policy, announced in July 2015.
“Throughout the search process, all of us who came in contact with Costas were excited by his collaborative spirit, his commitment to both his profession and students and his contagious positive attitude,” said Laurie Koehler, vice provost for enrollment management and retention.
Dr. Solomou has been active in professional organizations, holding leadership roles with the New York State Association of College Admission Counseling and the College Board. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, and an M.S. and Ed.D. in Education with a concentration in Higher Education from University of Rochester.
He succeeds the former dean, Karen Stroud Felton, who left higher education this spring to return to a leadership role in high school college counseling.