Please welcome Jessica Rivers, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs. Ms. Rivers comes to us from the Boston College School of Education, where she was Assistant Dean for Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid. Jessica has great experience with targeted recruiting for graduate/professional programs and spent time in Student Affairs in a health science program at Tufts. In addition to being a great fit for this important, student-facing role, Jessica values the sense of community that makes Berkeley Optometry special.
In her current role as the Assistant Dean for Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid, she is responsible for constructing the strategic plan for the admissions office. This includes analyzing data reports to determine enrollment trends, managing the admissions recruitment budget, and awarding financial aid for seventeen masters programs. While at Boston College, she discovered that “working directly with students to be my true passion….I believe it is important to assess and discuss the specific social, economic, and environmental barriers for students of diverse backgrounds. I joined forces with the Office of Urban Outreach Initiatives and we have devised a plan to recruit and provide additional resources for these students. Whether creating personal statement and financial literacy workshops or informal mentorships, we try to ensure that students feel supported and have a network of resources.”
In addition to her roles at Boston College and Tufts, she has worked with the Admissions Office at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A fun fact about Jessica is that earlier in her career she coordinated game day marketing events for the New England Patriots in Foxboro, MA.
Thanks for joining us Jessica! We all look forward to meeting you in person.