Penn alumnus is new admissions dean

Eric J. Furda, vice president for alumni relations at Columbia University, has been named dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.

Furda, a 1987 Penn graduate, replaces Lee Stetson, Penn's admissions director for nearly 30 years, who abruptly resigned in September with little fanfare from the university. During his tenure, he was credited with helping Penn become one of the nation's most exclusive schools.

Furda assumes his position on July 1.

Perhaps no university job today is as critical as admissions, as elite schools vie with one another to have the highest yields of accepted students, and proudly note the number of applicants they turn down.

Penn, for instance, rejects 84 percent of its candidates, putting it in the top ranks of schools nationwide.

As executive director of undergraduate admissions at Columbia from 1995 to 2004, Furda is credited with guiding a historic rise in undergraduate admissions at Columbia, according to Penn. He led and managed the successful merger of the admission processes of the university's Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS).

During his tenure, applications to Columbia College increased more than 70 percent and SEAS more than 67 percent, while yield increased more than 20 percent. SAT scores of those who were admitted increased, as did international and minority enrollments.

Penn provost Ronald Daniels said in a statement that "Eric has a deep appreciation of the importance of inclusion and diversity in admission programs, and shares the university's commitment to increasing access to Penn for talented students from diverse backgrounds, both in this country and around the world."

As vice president for alumni relations at Columbia, Furda worked to create a new alumni association, increase annual alumni engagement, and implement online resources to connect alumni with Columbia and with one another.

Furda began his career in university admissions at Penn, where he was regional director from 1987 until 1991, when he joined the admissions office at Columbia.

He has a bachelor's degree in international relations from Penn, and a master's in education from Teachers College at Columbia. While a student at Penn, he was a four-year letter winner in lightweight football; he currently serves on Penn's Sprint Football Advisory Committee.

Neither Stetson nor the university ever explained why he left so suddenly. After his departure, Penn officials released a brief statement announcing his resignation with no well wishes or kudos for his work.

Stetson said at the time that "I now recognize that it is in the university's and my own best interest to step down immediately, before the commencement of the fall semester."

Under Stetson, the school became more selective and the student body more diverse. Eric Kaplan, a Penn administrator who previously was dean of admission and financial aid at Lehigh University, served as his interim replacement.