I am pleased to announce the selection of Luisa M. Havens Gerardo as the next vice president for enrollment management following a competitive and extensive national search process.
Dr. Havens Gerardo's appointment heralds a transformative era for the institution. Her strategic vision and expertise are poised to have a profound impact, bolstering the University's recruitment, enhancing retention efforts, and driving substantial revenue growth.
During her tenure as vice provost for enrollment management at Virginia Tech, a position she has held since 2017, Dr. Havens Gerardo played a pivotal role in guiding the university in consistently achieving its strategic enrollment, affordability, and student success goals. She oversaw a diverse portfolio that included undergraduate admissions, scholarships, financial aid, registration and records, pre-college programs, and enrollment planning for professionally oriented graduate programs.
Her data and analytics-informed approach was instrumental in shaping Virginia Tech's enrollment and financial aid-leveraging strategies, ensuring the institution's ability to attract and retain a diverse student body, including those traditionally underrepresented and underserved in higher education. Furthermore, her efforts extended to the development and implementation of innovative recruitment strategies aimed at increasing the university’s reach to a diverse set of in-state, out-of-state, and international markets.
In her own words, Dr. Havens Gerardo's vision is to lead with innovation and data-informed strategies to best position the University to attract students who value an inclusive, diverse, and academically rich community where access and excellence coexist.
Dr. Havens Gerardo previously served for five years as vice president of enrollment management and services at Florida International University. She also has Texas connections, having worked in executive director and director roles in enrollment, admissions and recruitment at the University of Texas at El Paso and as registrar at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Her extensive educational background, including a Ph.D. in educational administration and a rich array of presentations on critical education topics, underscores her dedication to advancing excellence and opportunity in education.
I am sincerely thankful for the hard work of the search committee, chaired by John Davidson, CFO and Vice President for Business and Finance. The committee’s wide range of perspectives and diligence was critical throughout the selection process.
I also appreciate Raymond Brown for his committed service as interim vice president for enrollment management since May 2023. His diligence and expertise have been vital to the success of the division as we searched for its next leader.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Havens Gerardo to campus when she joins us on Jan. 15. I look forward to watching student opportunities flourish under her direction.
