Eric Staab Named Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid

President Wim Wiewel announced today that Eric Staab will become vice president for admissions and financial aid. Staab, who currently serves as Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, will begin on October 7.

“I’m delighted to welcome Eric to Lewis & Clark,” said President Wiewel. “He’s a proven leader with 30 years of experience at highly selective liberal arts colleges. He understands our sector and its challenges, and he sees the opportunities for schools that are energetic and forward thinking about enrollment. He shares my sense of urgency and optimism.”

Staab has been at Kalamazoo since 2006 and previously worked in admissions at Grinnell College, St. Olaf College, and the University of Chicago. During his 13 years of leadership at Kalamazoo, total enrollment increased by 16 percent, and the composition of the student body became significantly more racially and socioeconomically diverse: U.S. students of color enrollment increased from 10 to 33 percent of the student body, and Pell grant recipients increased from 9 to 24 percent.

“I’ve had a keen eye on Lewis & Clark since I began recruiting in the Pacific Northwest eight years ago,” said Staab. “I’m excited to join an institution with a strong strategic plan and sense of who it wants to be in the world. In the face of questions about the value of liberal arts colleges, I know that creative, courageous, and data-driven approaches are key to building an effective recruitment strategy.

“I see ample evidence of the hard effort underway campuswide on strategic enrollment management. I am eager to work with many partners across Lewis & Clark to continue strengthening our success near and far.”

In addition to an emphasis on providing access to students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds, Staab’s career has included a focus on international admissions. He has traveled to over 60 countries, mostly to recruit prospective students. During his time at Kalamazoo, international student enrollment increased from 1 to 9 percent of the student body.

Staab received both his BA in German and economics and his MA in Western European studies from Indiana University Bloomington.

Jennifer Delahunty will continue serving as interim vice president until Staab starts in the fall. “A big thank you to Jennifer. Her work and analysis will be instrumental in helping Eric get started quickly and on the right foot,” said Wiewel. Delahunty replaced Vice President and Dean for Enrollment Management Lisa Meyer, who recently joined executive search firm Witt/Kieffer.

Staab’s appointment concludes a national search that was chaired by Dean Bruce Suttmeier and assisted by Summit Search Solutions. The other search committee members were:

• Rachel Cole, Associate Professor of English and Department Chair
• Anastacia Dillon, Associate Vice President for Financial Aid
• Hollie Elliott, Interim Associate Vice President for Admissions
• Caitlin Harper, Associate Dean of Admissions
• Robin Holmes-Sullivan, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students
• Dave Reese, Vice President, Chief of Staff, General Counsel, and Board Secretary
• Katherine Shallenberger, Associate Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis