Elise Awwad

Elise Awwad, Vice President of Strategic Enrollment at DeVry University, brings more than 15 years of higher education experience, particularly within the enrollment management departments. She has held various leadership roles within DeVry University, continuing to take on roles of increased responsibility as it relates to student enrollment and student success. She currently leads the University’s admissions and student central departments—new student recruitment, student finance advising, and academic advising—focusing on the student journey from initial interest in enrollment through graduation.

As the Vice President of Strategic Enrollment, Elise has been leading the University towards successful student outcomes through innovative initiatives along with business process re-engineering, including the introduction of various tools to better guide the department’s strategy through data and research. Her enrollment teams focus on a high touch student experience, integrating technology and various support resources to meet the service needs of the University’s new and continuing student population. She has been focused on building highly engaged, high performance teams throughout her career, currently leading a colleague population of roughly 600 across 45+ locations.

Elise received an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a BA in Small Business Management from Southern Illinois University. She also earned a certificate in public policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. She holds several leadership development certifications and is the founder and Chair of DeVry University’s women’s affinity group, helping accelerate the advancement of women in higher education. As Chair, she recently presented on behalf of DeVry University at the Women in Leadership: Higher Education Conference at Harvard University.