KU names 4 finalists for director of admissions and scholarships

LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas has named four finalists for the position of director of admissions and scholarships.

The first candidate, Lisa Pinamonti, will interview March 24-25 and give a public presentation at 2 p.m. Monday at the KU Visitor Center auditorium. The second candidate, Roger Bilow, will interview March 27-28, followed by Paul Buskirk, April 2-3, and Patrick O'Neill, April 17-18.

All finalists will give a public presentation at an open forum, in addition to meeting with the search committee, admissions staff and senior administrators. Additional information on each finalist is available online at www.registrar.ku.edu/admission.shtml.

The university is conducting a nationwide search for this position, which Pinamonti has filled on an interim basis since April 2002. University Registrar Richard Morrell is chair of the search committee.

The director of admissions and scholarships provides direction and leadership for the office's programs and operations, including student recruitment activities and publications, undergraduate admissions and new student scholarships. The director also oversees the admissions-decision and scholarship-awarding processes.

Finalists

 • Lisa Pinamonti has been interim director of admissions and scholarships at KU since April 2002. She previously was associate director of recruitment (2000-02) and assistant director of on-campus programming (1999-2000) at KU. Before that she was orientation coordinator in the Office of Admissions at Wichita State University (1998-99), a graduate assistant in the Office of New Student Orientation at KU (1997-98) and senior admissions counselor at Pittsburg State University (1994-97). She received a bachelor's degree in communication from Pittsburg State and a master's degree in higher education administration from KU.

 • Roger Bilow has been director of admissions at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, since 1995. He previously was associate director of admissions at the University of Texas at San Antonio (1982-95) and a counselor and administrator with the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation in San Antonio (1974-82). He received a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Georgia and a master's degree in guidance and counseling from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

 • Paul Buskirk has been associate athletics director for student support services at KU since 1989. He previously was academic counselor and administrative assistant for the football program (1986-87) and a graduate assistant to the vice chancellor for academic affairs (1983-86) at KU. As an undergraduate at KU, Buskirk was an administrative assistant and orientation assistant in the Office of Admissions orientation program. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in counseling psychology, both from KU.

 • Patrick O'Neill has been associate director of admissions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2000. He previously was director of international admissions at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1997-2000) and an admissions counselor (1988-97) and student worker in the Office of Admissions (1983-87) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (1988-97). He received a bachelor's degree in international studies and geography and a master's degree in public administration, both from UNO.