Photo courtesy of UMass Amherst
Leykia Nulan, Mount Holyoke’s newly-appointed Dean of Admission.
BY KATIE GOSS ’23
Leykia Nulan has been appointed Mount Holyoke’s new Dean of Admission.
With a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College and a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania, Nulan has laid an educational foundation for work in college admissions. She currently works at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Before being employed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Nulan worked at Wheaton College as Assistant Director of Admissions and a multicultural admission counselor.
She has also worked at Amherst College, where she was the Associate Director of Student Activities, Associate Dean of Admission and a Coordinator of Diversity Outreach.
The College announced that Nulan will start Oct. 1 of this year in a community email sent on Sept. 16.
“Returning to a liberal arts college is something I’ve known I would want to do for many years. I have been very impressed by all that is offered by [Mount Holyoke] and want very much to be a part of growing and shaping the community,” Nulan said.
“At the top of my list is that this will be a fantastic opportunity for me to expand my inclusion work at an institution that is being thoughtful about the education of students from gender-diverse backgrounds,” she said.
When she began working at UMass, Amherst in 2015, Nulan was determined to increase the enrollment of African-American and minority students after learning that they had been discouraged from applying to schools by their own high school teachers.
She and her team decided to personally get involved, talking to the students face to face, getting to know them and guiding them through college applications.
Between fall 2010 and fall 2017 the enrollment of African American students at UMass, Amherst rose 32 percent.
Nulan recently received the 2019 New England Association for College Admission Counseling Professional of the Year award.
This award is given to New England educators who have demonstrated their advocacy on behalf of their students and institutions and made significant contributions toward the field of college admissions. They tend to be viewed as mentors and leaders into their school communities.
Nulan said that she likes to get involved with the community on campus and make genuine personal connections, which is so important to the students at Mount Holyoke.
“I expect her to maintain our community values and reach to admit students who respect this community’s space and want to be here while making it better too,” Natalie Glick ’23 said.
“Also, we want someone who will take a holistic approach to the admissions process and do a good job with diversity, not just focusing on test scores or GPA (Grade Point Average),” Glick said.
When asked how she would personally like to connect with students, Nulan said, “Food! Let’s go to lunch! I’d love to hear more about your experiences and what you think I can do to make Mount Holyoke College a better experience for you.”
Nulan says that, most importantly, she hopes to use her time at Mount Holyoke “to leave an imprint.”