Francis J. Carey, Jr. Lecture

Shawn Felton is Cornell University's Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Deputy Chief Admissions and Enrollment Officer.

In his first role, Shawn oversees the Undergraduate Admissions Office, which provides leadership for prospect management, student recruitment and communication, admissions social media, application processing, the prospective student visit experience, yield strategy and coordination, market research, long-range planning, and admissions volunteer engagement. The Undergraduate Admissions Office also directs enrollment efforts for special populations, including the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of underrepresented minority students in the United States and international students.

As Deputy Chief Admissions and Enrollment Officer, Shawn is responsible for admissions policy, practice, and broader enrollment management work at Cornell. Shawn is the lead international recruiter and undergraduate admissions expert for Africa and China, providing significant admissions committee support through international application review and credentials evaluation. 

Shawn has been with Cornell for 19 years. Before arriving in Ithaca, Shawn served for nearly three years as Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Virginia, his alma mater, where he led recruitment and admissions efforts for students interested in the performing and visual arts. Shawn has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in music, specializing in ethnomusicology and music composition, from the University of Virginia.