Vice President for Enrollment
Ohio Wesleyan Appoints Adam Smith to Oversee Admission, Support Students in College Search
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University today announced the appointment of Adam Smith, MBA, as its vice president for enrollment. In the role, Smith will oversee the offices of admission and financial aid, and help prospective students and families as they navigate the college-enrollment process.
Currently, Smith is the assistant vice president for enrollment management at Elizabethtown College, a private college of more than 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students in central Pennsylvania. Smith will join Ohio Wesleyan in July and report to incoming President Matt vandenBerg, Ed.D.
“I am thrilled to welcome Adam Smith to Ohio Wesleyan,” said vandenBerg, who becomes OWU’s 17th president on July 1. “Adam brings a proven track record of spearheading tremendously successful student recruitment efforts in fiercely competitive higher education markets. His innovative spirit, collaborative work style, and commitment to excellence made him stand out in a very strong candidate pool. Thanks to the efforts of many, we have found an exciting new leader for our highly talented enrollment team.”
Before becoming an assistant vice president at Elizabethtown, Smith served the college as its senior director of admissions. His work helped the college to record enrollment increases of more than 10 percent for three consecutive years, with a similar trend expected this fall.
“I pride myself on seeing the broader scope of enrollment activities and how they fit within an institution’s mission,” Smith said. “At Ohio Wesleyan, we will be bold, innovative, and clear about who we are, as we work to increase the university’s footprint in Ohio and beyond. Ohio Wesleyan’s impressive purpose of equipping students with knowledge, competence, character for leadership, service, and continued learning in an increasingly global society will be at the forefront of our system.”
Prior to joining Elizabethtown in September 2019, Smith worked at Husson University in Bangor, Maine, for more than nine years, serving in the roles of transfer credit coordinator/evaluator, assistant director of transfer admissions, associate director of admissions, and director of undergraduate admissions.
Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications (Journalism) and a Master of Business Administration (Organizational Management), both from Husson University. His professional affiliations include the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), New England Transfer Association (NETA), and New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC).
Ohio Wesleyan faculty member Nathan Rowley, Ph.D., a member of the vice presidential search committee, said Smith brings a strong skillset to OWU’s enrollment division.
“Adam brings energy and dynamism with him, and I’m excited to be working with him,” said Rowley, associate professor of environment and sustainability. “He understands the enrollment challenges that we face and how to address them, especially in that we’re in a region with many competitive schools that our students can choose from. I feel confident that he’ll help us continue growing the OWU community.”
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “Best Colleges” lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.