Hampden-Sydney College announced today that Chrystal Russell will become the College’s next dean of admission.
Ms. Russell’s appointment follows a national search led by a committee that included Hampden-Sydney faculty, staff, alumni, and Trustees.
Ms. Russell brings to the College more than a decade of recruitment, enrollment, and financial aid experience at both the higher education and secondary school levels. She has served as the director of undergraduate admission at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, since 2019. Previously, Ms. Russell spent five years in the admission office at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, before becoming associate director of college counseling at Montgomery Bell Academy, a premier independent high school for boys in Nashville, Tennessee. She began her career in higher education as an admission counselor at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia.
“To say Chrystal is an expert in her field would be a huge understatement,” said Vice President for Enrollment Jeff Norris. “In addition to possessing a thorough understanding of the college enrollment process and the characteristics of a successful admission operation, Chrystal is someone with a deep passion for developing effective teams as well as cultivating personal relationships with prospective students, families, alumni, and college counselors. As the product of a single-sex education herself, Chrystal also believes strongly in the value of an all-male education and will be an incredible asset to the College as we introduce more young men and their families to the transformative education Hampden-Sydney offers. We are thrilled to be welcoming a dean of admission with such a strong national reputation and extensive professional background.”
We are thrilled to be welcoming a dean of admission with such a strong national reputation and extensive professional background.
Jeff Norris, Vice President for Enrollment
An alumna of St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, Virginia, Ms. Russell graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her current role at Case Western Reserve – a tier-one private research university – she provides strategic leadership for a team of admission professionals while also directing day-to-day recruitment efforts, travel, and the application review process. Throughout her career recruiting in the U.S. and internationally, she has developed an aptitude for data-driven decision making, strategic travel and territory management, and interdepartmental collaboration. In addition to training and equipping others to represent institutions to the public, Ms. Russell has significant experience presenting to large groups on a variety of topics. She also brings to Hampden-Sydney strong relationships with college counselors at high schools across the country.
“I am drawn to organizations that value community, culture, and purpose, and this process has only further reinforced my admiration for the experience Hampden-Sydney provides young men,” Ms. Russell said. “I am excited for the opportunity to be part of an institution that has an unwavering commitment to forming good men and good citizens, and I can’t wait to join this admission team and advance the College’s mission as Hampden-Sydney approaches its 250th anniversary.”
Ms. Russell will officially assume her role in May.
Ms. Russell’s appointment follows a national search led by a committee that included Hampden-Sydney faculty, staff, alumni, and Trustees.