A letter from the Provost on J. Leon Washington

Dear Colleagues,

I want to inform you that a valued member of the Lehigh community, J. Leon Washington, Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, will be leaving Lehigh after 9 years to accept the position of Dean of Enrollment Management at Villanova University.

Leon has been an exceptionally dedicated and effective leader of our Admissions team, which has attracted stellar undergraduate candidates from across the world throughout his tenure. Lehigh’s applications rose from roughly 10,000 in 2007 to 13,438 in 2016, including two record years for application generation in 2008 and 2016, which amassed the largest total applications in the University’s history.  Leon also improved Lehigh’s admission rate, or selectivity, from 38% to 27%, and increased international student enrollment from about 2% in 2007 to 10% in 2016. He made financial aid a priority, revamping Lehigh’s financial aid packaging strategies to address the needs of medium- and high-need students and reducing the loan burden for these students.

Leon has also been a strong supporter of the campuswide effort at building community and developing a climate that supports all of our students, faculty, and staff.

Leon’s last day at Lehigh will be August 19, and you will have an opportunity to wish him well at a farewell reception, which will be announced shortly.

Please join me in wishing Leon the best in the next chapter of his stellar career.  We appreciate all he has done to nurture and grow the Lehigh community with so many years of thoughtfully recruited students.

Bruce Bunnick, Director of Admissions, has agreed to serve as the Interim Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid. I would like to thank Bruce for stepping into this leadership role and maintaining the momentum of the office and all of its efforts. A national search will be underway shortly to fill the position. 

Sincerely, 

Patrick V. Farrell
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs