Meet The Staff

Meet some of the people behind the admission process. While recruiting a diverse student body is a university-wide effort, there are a few people within the Office of Admission that coordinate recruitment of underrepresented populations. Read their bios and write them an e-mail if you have more questions about admission at Carnegie Mellon.

Cornell LeSane

Associate Director of Admission

Ethnic Minority Coordinator

(Hnz '03)

clesane@andrew.cmu.edu

Kathryn Bethea

Assistant Director of Admission

Ethnic Minority Coordinator

(Notre Dame '04)

kbethea@andrew.cmu.edu

Wahab Owolabi

Assistant Director of Admission

Ethnic Minority Coordinator

(Washington & Jefferson '09)

wowolabi@andrew.cmu.edu

Melanie Jo Wrobleski

Assistant Director of Admission

Special Populations

(Pennsylvania State University '04)

meljowro@andrew.cmu.edu

Brief description of what you do
We assist in recruiting the incoming freshman class with a focal point on diversity. We help with the admission process, such as recruiting, selecting, interviewing and enrolling new undergraduates.
Favorite Hobbies
Cornell:running, racquetball, basketball Katheryn: My new African Class!
Favorite Movies
Melanie Jo: A Beautiful Mind, Big Fish, The Dark Knight Jhermel: Love Jones
Pet Peeves
Cornell: When my colleagues eat all of the good candy from my office! Kathryn: Nail biters!
Favorite Places to Visit in Pittsburgh
Melanie Jo: PNC Park, Carnegie Science Center and The Point
What was your experience like as a student?
Cornell:As a Master's student at Carnegie Mellon, my experience was different than those who are undergraduates. However, a few things that were consistent at the graduate and the undergraduate level were diversity of student body, opportunities to do research, and the excellent education.
What did a Carnegie Mellon education give you that another university might not have?
Cornell: One of the main things that attracted me to Carnegie Mellon was the opportunity to be involved with such a respected organization. The university is dedicated to its students and passionate about preparing them for a life of success. I also felt that the job of assisting in recruiting a diverse group of students would be an important endeavor. I enjoy helping students through the admission process because I understand that it can be a very difficult time.
What do you like about Pittsburgh?
Kathryn: Pittsburgh is a great new old city. It is mindful of its history but it's moving forward and upward in the areas of healthcare, business, technology, arts and research. There is always something to do! Jhermel: It's cultural offerings and its close proximity to so many other major cities.
How would you describe the student body?
Melanie Jo: Amazing! The students at Carnegie Mellon truly take my breath away. They are all so talented in so many different ways, and their talents tend to span the disciplines, which makes Carnegie Mellon very unique.
What do you like most about your job?
Kathryn: As an Admission Counselor, we're the first contact the families have with Carnegie Mellon. Throughout the application process, we're able to help guide students from graduating high school and entering college. I'm a real advocate of higher education and any way that I can help is great!
What advice would you give to prospective college students?
Cornell: The best advice that I can give to prospective college students is to work hard both in the classroom and outside the classroom by being involved in activities. Stay focused on your goals and make decisions that will help you to ascertain those goals. Never give up.