UC Berkeley has appointed Olufemi “Femi” Ogundele as the new assistant vice chancellor and director of undergraduate admissions.

According to a letter written by Stephen Sutton, vice chancellor of student affairs, Ogundele will begin his role Jan. 1, 2019. Before he begins, Silvia Marquez will continue to serve as interim director. Ogundele is currently serving as the assistant dean for diversity outreach at Stanford University, where he provides vision and leadership for undergraduate admissions outreach initiatives targeting undocumented, first-generation and LGBTQ+ students.

“Femi joins Berkeley with significant experience in domestic and international undergraduate admissions, and a track record of applying best practices in outreach and recruitment strategies, developing inclusive office environments, and advocating for underrepresented students,” the letter said.

Ogundele has developed partnerships with national associations, foundations and organizations to track down the nation’s most qualified students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, according to Sutton’s letter.

He serves as teaching faculty for the National Association for College Admission Counseling Guiding the Way to Inclusion conference.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have him on board,” Sutton said. “I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Silvia Marquez for continuing to serve as interim director of admissions until Femi joins us in January,” Sutton said in his campuswide email announcing Ogundele’s appointment.

According to second-year graduate student Jakob Brounstein, the decision to appoint Ogundele is a “good thing” because many marginalized applicants have lower access to higher education and Ogundele promotes outreach to these groups.

“I think it is a good thing to promote and increase their applications. I am incredibly excited to see a more diversified UC Berkeley, which is something that I hope to see this new undergraduate admissions director do,” Brounstein said.