New Executive Director of Admissions Announced

DSAES News
July 21, 2022

March 8, 2017

Mardell R. Maxwell will join the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services as the new executive director of Admissions effective March 20, 2017. As Executive Director, Maxwell is responsible for directing the University's admissions processes to achieve the stated objectives while providing efficient and effective service, maintaining a strong marketing and recruitment plan to attract the top high school graduates and other highly qualified students, as well as ensuring the diversity mission of the University is upheld.

Maxwell will provide leadership and coordination of the University's admissions activities with the UH campus community, high schools, community colleges, family members, prospective students, and community groups. As a member of the Enrollment Services leadership team, Maxwell will develop relationships with and advise deans, directors, staff, and faculty on marketplace issues affecting recruitment and enrollment and will ensure that outstanding customer service is provided to all prospective students and family members.

Maxwell has excellent experience in undergraduate admissions and recruitment, as well as strategic enrollment management. He previously served as the senior associate director of Admissions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). In that role, Maxwell oversaw undergraduate recruitment and works closely with the operations and processing of admission applications. As associate director, Maxwell was able to develop and implement the integration of a chat system within the customer relationship management system, and developed a strategic plan that resulted in a 30% increase in high academically performing students. He also led a team that implemented Nebraska Now, an online education program, which created a new revenue stream for UNL. With Maxwell’s focus on developing and expanding resources for urban and rural communities, UNL saw a 14% increase in enrollment and recently celebrated its largest and most diverse new student enrollment in its history.

Maxwell has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Kansas State University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University. He then earned a Master of Liberal Studies in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University, and is a candidate for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Maxwell has spent his entire career in admissions and recruitment, first serving as an admissions representative and recruitment coordinator at Kansas State University. He then was named senior assistant director for Freshman Recruitment in the Office of Admissions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was later named associate director and eventually named senior associate director in the Office of Admissions at UNL. Maxwell is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, and serves on the Member Relations Committee. He is also the Membership Chair for the Great Plains Association for College Admissions Counseling.

“Mardell comes to the University of Houston’s Office of Admissions with a passion and dedication to higher education admissions and recruitment. As the University of Houston continues to grow and expand, welcoming an ever larger and more diverse student body, Mardell will prove to be a major part of the university’s continued success. He brings great energy and creativity to his work. His focus on building and maintaining a culture that thrives on collaboration, tradition, and efficiency embodies the spirit of the University and our goals going into the future,”

Please join the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services in welcoming Mardell R. Maxwell to the University of Houston.