Kutztown University Names Jennifer Castro Director of Admissions

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Jennifer Castro ’05, M’09 has been appointed the new director of Admissions at Kutztown University. A KU graduate, Castro comes to KU from Lehigh University in Bethlehem and brings more than 15 years admissions experience. She will begin at KU Monday, Sept. 25.

“I am delighted to welcome Jennifer back home to KU,” said Dr. Learie Nurse, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “Her longstanding experience in admissions and approach to student recruitment will serve KU well. She has an in-depth understanding of what it takes to recruit and support a diverse student body but is also capable of managing a successful admissions office. I value her ability to be an active listener, and as someone who can reinvigorate the “why” in our admissions profession. Furthermore, I am even more excited to see how she will utilize data and trends to help us operationalize excellence in our recruitment efforts and enrollment goals. More importantly, she knows how to talk to students and their families about the tremendous quality and value of the KU experience, given her own experiences. I am thrilled and excited to work with her.”

Castro completed her ninth year at Lehigh University this past year (2015-23), most recently serving two years as senior associate director of Admissions, Special Populations and Yield Team. She overhauled and reengineered the on-campus admitted student experience, leading to the largest admitted student events to date with more than 800 students and 2,400 people. She oversaw the department’s Diversity Recruitment Team, which saw an increased yield of domestic students of color from 13% to 33% from 2015-23.

She designed Lehigh’s inaugural Merit Dinner in 2022, and Parent Reception in 2023, oversaw the admitted student event calendar, was part of the Office of Admissions Senior Leadership Group and constructed a yield communication and marketing plan. Castro spent her first six years at Lehigh as the associate director of Admissions.

“Thank you to President Hawkinson, Dr. Nurse, the Office of Admissions and the search committee for selecting me to serve as the new Director of Admissions,” Castro said. “As a proud KU alum, I am incredibly humbled and honored to come back to KU and serve in this role. I look forward to collaborating with the Kutztown community and working with a talented admissions team.”

Castro is a two-time Kutztown University graduate, earning her Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice in 2005, and her Master of Education in student affairs administration in 2009. Upon earning her bachelor’s degree, she joined East Stroudsburg University as its assistant director of multicultural recruitment. During her time, ESU saw an increase in its annual percentage of incoming multicultural students of 20%. Castro designed marketing materials, coordinated events and oversaw 40 student tour guides.

Castro is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and the Pennsylvania Association for College Admissions Counseling (PACAC). She is a member of the Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association (CIVSA), served on its DEI Committee and was selected to join the District IV Regional Committee.