U. T. Dallas Names Bradford Director of Admissions

RICHARDSON, Texas (July 12, 2005) — The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), whose enrollment has grown by nearly 50 percent over the past seven years at a time when the university has strengthened its student quality to a position competitive with the nation’s premier public research institutions, has named Bryan J. Bradford, an admissions expert at The University of Alabama, director of admissions, effective Aug. 1.

Bradford, currently associate director of undergraduate admissions at Alabama, will report to the vice president for student affairs and will be responsible for all aspects of undergraduate recruitment, as well as both the undergraduate and graduate admissions processes.

Among his duties, Bradford will forecast potential enrollments and identify new markets for student procurement. He also will be charged with developing, implementing and monitoring a comprehensive plan to attract and enroll a qualified, talented and diverse undergraduate student body that supports the strategic goals and overall mission of the university.

“Enrollment services — including admissions, recruiting, financial aid and records and registration — are an integral part of a university and will be a vital element in UTD’s continued growth and success,” said Dr. Darrelene Rachavong, UTD’s interim vice president for student affairs. “ Bryan has an exceptional record with extensive experience that I believe will make our admissions team stronger than ever.”

Bradford will manage a department of about 50 professional, classified and student staff. He said he was looking forward to joining “UTD, a university that is really on the move and is gaining a much-deserved national reputation in a number of areas.”

“I am very excited about joining The University of Texas at Dallas,” Bradford said. “It is a university that is experiencing rapid growth and is carving a place for itself among the top universities in Texas — and indeed the nation. UTD is a school that I believe is poised for distinction in numerous academic areas as well as in research, and its students clearly are among some of the most talented in the country.”

The average SAT score of entering freshmen at UTD last fall was 1239 – the highest of any public university in the state. UTD’s enrollment last fall was 14,092; by comparison, in the fall of 1998, enrollment was only 9,518. That represents an increase of about 48 percent. Despite the university’s rapid growth, however, the quality of its students has remained high and actually improved.

Bradford has a Master of Science degree in higher education (with a focus in student personnel) from The University of Mississippi and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Arkansas State University. He spent six years at The University of Alabama, where he served in several positions with the university’s office of undergraduate admissions.

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.