By Rachel Williams, NACAC Communications

After a nationwide search, Erwin Hesse, a first-generation college graduate, is the inaugural director of the Center for Innovation in College Admission — one of NACAC’s most ambitious initiatives that aims to reimagine the college admission process and workforce.

“As we work to redesign outdated college admission systems, it’s imperative that we have a leader who understands the college admission landscape from multiple perspectives,” said Angel B. Pérez, NACAC CEO. “Erwin not only brings extensive knowledge to the position, but an eagerness to reimagine the college admission process to better serve all students and to create new pathways and support systems for the future generations of professionals in this field.”

Hesse, who began the director role on July 22, brings more than 15 years of experience that spans higher education and the private sector. He has served in senior leadership roles at Amazon, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland. While managing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at Amazon, he created the company’s first Hispanic Serving Institution recruitment strategy designed to advance Latinx representation at Amazon. As executive director of enrollment management at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies, he led global recruitment strategies for numerous degree and certificate programs, notably growing enrollments year over year, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also created and taught graduate-level enrollment management classes at Georgetown.

Additionally, in recognizing the need for individualized support, Hesse co-founded Admissions Gambit, an educational coaching service for high school students, college transfers, and graduate students. For every student served by Admissions Gambit, the company then provides free college admission coaching to a first-generation, low-income student.

“As a first-gen, low-income Latino male, I had to navigate the educational process with little-to-no support,” said Hesse. “I applied to lead this center because I know there are countless students right now who have similar experiences. I also want to help create systems and processes to better support the professionals in this field as they recruit, counsel, and support students of all backgrounds.”

As director of the Center for Innovation in College Admission, Hesse will spearhead its goals to:

  • Redesign structures around the college application process
  • Advance alternatives for assessing merit and college readiness
  • Shape the future of a healthy and diverse admission workforce

First announced during NACAC CEO Angel B. Pérez’s State of the Association address at NACAC Conference 2023, the center is the result of years of work to understand the systemic barriers that inhibit equitable access to college admission and to reimagine what the system could be when equity is the goal.

Hesse holds a doctorate in education from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore, and a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Maryland. He is a 2023 Obama Foundation USA Leader, a Johns Hopkins University Leadership Fellow, and a 2022 recipient of a NewSchools Venture Fund grant to pilot admission consulting for first-generation, low-income youth.

“I am honored that my lived experiences as a student and the previous 15 years professionally in college admission and access have led me to be selected as the inaugural director for this center,” said Hesse. “While I know it is a major task to change the way college admission has been done for decades, I am confident that this center will be the national guiding resource for various stakeholders to work together and ameliorate the admission process for years to come.”

Learn more about the Center for Innovation in College Admission. The director search was conducted by WittKieffer on behalf of NACAC.