Title: Director of Strategic Enrollment Initiatives
Company: Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, New York, United States
Shawn Felton, director at Cornell University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in higher education.
With 23 years of experience to his credit, Mr. Felton has excelled as director of strategic enrollment initiatives at Cornell University since 2023. He has held a number of positions at Cornell University between 2003 and 2024, including associate director of engineering admissions, communications coordinator, senior associate director of admissions, international admissions coordinator, university recruitment coordinator, senior associate director, deputy and interim director of undergraduate admissions, undergraduate admissions and deputy chief admissions and enrollment officer, and executive director.
Mr. Felton began his career as an instructor of music history, the history of jazz, American music, African American music, and studio voice at the University of Virginia and at Piedmont Virginia Community College. He served as assistant dean of admissions at the University of Virginia from 2001 to 2003 and has garnered a stellar reputation as a consultant for the Office of Overseas Schools at the United States Department of State since 2014.
Before embarking on his professional path, Mr. Felton pursued an education at the University of Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in music, sociology, and psychology in 1995. He concluded his studies at the same, graduating with a Master of Arts in music composition and computer music in 1999. Beyond his responsibilities within the field, he has participated in numerous endeavors outside of his professional circles. He has volunteered with the Lenfest Scholars Foundation since 2019. He found success as a chapter contributor and co-author of “Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy.”
In addition to his primary vocation, Mr. Felton remains affiliated with various organizations in relation to his areas of expertise. He was a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. He attributes his success to several factors, including his late mother’s pivotal role in his personal and intellectual development. Growing up with a stepfather who worked as a nuclear engineer for the Department of Energy, his family was required to move frequently, instilling in him resilience and a unique capacity to adapt and learn.
Mr. Felton possessed a lifelong dream of becoming an educator and pursued it by teaching at higher education institutions in Virginia. Despite the satisfying nature of his work, he decided to explore new avenues in the field of technology and communications, which eventually led him to Cornell University, where he took on a variety of positions in enrollment. His contributions to the university have helped to recruit and engage students from a wider range of social, economic, regional, and national backgrounds.
In the immediate future, Mr. Felton is enthusiastic about broadening his knowledge through further education. He intends to devote more time to expanding access opportunities in education and engaging directly with students in the United States and Africa. With a heavily international profile, he seeks to immerse himself in various student and organizational communities in the United States while participating in marketing and speaking engagements. Additionally, he hopes to apportion additional time for his hobbies, which include playing the piano and clarinet, singing, composing musical compositions, writing, traveling, reading, and reconnecting with friends and family.
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