Cezar Mesquita is the New Director of Admissions at WWU

Cezar O. Mesquita has been selected as director of the Office of Admissions at Western Washington University.

Mesquita is now director of Admissions at the University of Idaho. He will start work at Western on Nov. 1. As the new director of Admissions at Western, Mesquita will oversee undergraduate admissions. About 95 percent of Western’s students are undergraduates.

“We’re looking forward to Cezar’s leadership as our next director of undergraduate admissions.  Cezar’s expertise, unique skills and longstanding experience in the Admissions profession will not only support but enhance the recruitment of qualified students to our University,” said Clara Capron, assistant vice president of Enrollment and Student Services at Western.

Mesquita was selected following a national search. He will succeed Capron who supervises Admissions, Financial Aid and New Student Services/Family Outreach. Capron has been serving as acting director of Admissions until a permanent director was named.

"I am thrilled to be joining the WWU family, and the Enrollment and Student Services team. I look forward to continuing the great work of bringing in a talented and diverse group of students who will contribute to our community's experiences,” Mesquita said.

Mesquita has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Alabama. He has extensive professional experience in higher education, including previous service as dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Antioch College and director of Admissions at College of Wooster, both in Ohio; director of Admission and assistant women’s soccer coach at Doane College in Nebraska; and as director for Diversity Enrollment, interim director of Admissions and assistant director of Admissions at the University of Denver. In addition he served as interim executive director/assistant director for the Latin American Educational Foundation in Denver.

Western’s director of Admissions oversees the Office of Admissions, which includes enrollment planning with University leadership; undergraduate student recruitment; written, virtual, and oral presentation of Western’s story, academic programs, university resources, student life, and admissions procedures; undergraduate application processing and selection; collaboration with high schools, community colleges, community organizations; coordination of transfer articulation and policy development; and non-departmental new student scholarship selection.