July 27, 2011—Mary G. Parker, an accomplished leader in university student recruitment and retention, will join the University of Utah (the U) as associate vice president for enrollment management, effective September 12. Parker fills a senior administration role and will be responsible for designing and carrying out the U’s first integrated strategic enrollment plan.

Parker will report to the vice president for student affairs and have responsibility for bringing together the entire enrollment process, including student recruitment, admissions, registration, financial aid and network support.

“The U is experiencing a period of tremendous growth across all measures, and proficient student enrollment is a key feature in the U’s present—and future—success,” says Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Snyder. “The time is right to approach enrollment in a strategic fashion, and Mary Parker brings vibrant ideas, practical skills and depth of experience to the task of reaching out to the many talented young people who ought to be considering attending the U and to advancing the academic profile of our undergraduate student body.”

Parker comes to the U from Louisiana State University (LSU)—the state’s flagship university with 27,000 students—where she has been part of the enrollment management team since 2004 and has served as chief enrollment officer and executive director of undergraduate admissions and student aid since 2007. In that role, she implemented LSU’s first comprehensive recruitment plan.

Under Parker’s guidance LSU’s market share grew regionally and nationwide, resulting in an overall increase in enrollment by 14 percent. The institution also admitted the largest and most diverse incoming freshman class in the history of LSU during her tenure there.

“It is a great time to be joining the University of Utah,” says Parker.  “At this critical juncture in the U’s history creating an efficient student-centered “one-stop shop” for prospective students, their parents and the current student body will yield valuable results for the U and the region. By admitting and retaining great students and helping them reach their educational goals here, everyone wins. I am especially eager to reach out to local communities about what the university has to offer. Students need to recognize that they can have a world-class university experience here without having to travel the world to do so,” she concludes.

Prior to joining LSU, Parker served as an enrollment management consultant at audit, tax and advisory firm of KPMG in Atlanta; director of financial aid at Reinhardt College, a private liberal arts college in Atlanta, where she oversaw all Title IV federal aid programs and university scholarships; and at Southeastern Louisiana University, where she was responsible for strategic planning for the enrollment services division, including admissions, financial aid and orientation.

Parker holds a bachelor’s degree in history and government, and a master’s in educational counseling from Southeastern Louisiana University. She is a member of numerous professional associations, including the National Association for College Admissions Counseling.