Monique Eguavoen named director of enrollment management at New Kensington

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Monique Eguavoen has accepted the position of director of enrollment management at Penn State New Kensington, replacing Patty Brady, who retires this summer.

Eguavoen joins the campus community after three years as assistant director of admissions and enrollment services for the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She was responsible for the strategic oversight and data-based development and implementation of recruitment, yield and enrollment strategies. Eguavoen also brings to the position knowledge of marketing, event planning, financial aid, retention and diversity. Prior to working at Pitt, Eguavoen spent seven years as an admissions counselor at the University of California, Irvine.

"We were looking for someone who could bring energy, experiences, and new perspectives that would build on Director Brady's success and help us prepare for a shifting enrollment environment," said Kevin Snider, chancellor of the campus. "Monique is that someone."  

In her new role on the campus’s senior management team, Eguavoen’s responsibilities will include recruitment, admissions and financial aid initiatives, as well as management of the day-to-day operations of the admissions office. Student activities, such as the Lion Ambassadors program, also fall under her supervision.

“My passion for higher education is inherently linked to my status as a first-generation, low-income, and minoritized college student,” said Eguavoen, a resident of Pittsburgh. “Through my personal and professional experience, I have come to recognize the challenges associated with the college admission and financial aid process. I desire to be the supportive influence to prospective and current undergraduate students that I lacked."

Eguavoen is in the process of completing her doctorate in higher education management at Pitt. She expects to earn a D.Ed. in 2019. She holds a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Hope International University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University.

“My doctoral work and professional background have enabled me to develop a deep understanding of enrollment and student development,” Eguavoen said. “I am excited to join the campus community and use my knowledge of admissions and student aid to assist in contributing to Penn State New Kensington's culture.”

Eguavoen starts at the campus on June 19. Brady retires on June 30. The two-week overlap allows Eguavoen to draw on Brady’s 37 years of experience at the campus.

"I am really glad she overlaps with Patty, and I'm looking forward to seeing Monique integrate the incredible things we've done in enrollment with the things that we will need to do differently in the future,” Snider said. “She is a great fit for a great campus."