Note: This letter originally appeared as an email sent to the Homewood community on December 20, 2021.
Dear Johns Hopkins University Community,
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Rachelle Hernandez as JHU’s next vice provost for student affairs. She will join us on March 1, 2022.
Rachelle served as the inaugural senior vice provost for enrollment management and student success at the University of Texas at Austin for the past four years and has over 25 years of experience working in higher education student services, student success, and new student enrollment. She has an excellent background in all facets of the student experience and in working across a large, complex institution to drive student success through graduation and beyond. Notably, her work had a direct impact on increasing retention and graduation rates, particularly for first-generation and low-income students.
As senior vice provost, Rachelle was able to successfully unify offices within Student Services at UT to create a more responsive and student-centered experience for all students. She built a strategic, institutionally coordinated, and data-driven new student recruitment and enrollment campaign, and she developed and oversaw the university’s financial aid, scholarship, and affordability strategy and was responsible for increasing service to students and supporting the transformation of the undergraduate experience. She also established several programs at UT Austin to increase affordability, recognize and encourage student success outcomes, increase access to jobs and internships, and improve alumni support and engagement.
Throughout her career, Rachelle has been deeply committed to building a comprehensive student experience and advancing DEI efforts to create a sense of belonging for all members of the student body, including playing a significant leadership role in establishing UT Austin as a minority serving institution (MSI). She has been an engaged leader in her institutions and across higher education and has served, and continues to serve, in leadership and educational roles across several professional associations.
Rachelle earned her bachelor’s degree and a Master of Education and Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She is completing a doctoral degree in organizational leadership, policy, and development at the same institution this year.
I would like to thank Kevin Shollenberger for his outstanding and ongoing leadership as interim vice provost for student affairs while also serving as vice provost for student health and well-being.
Please join me in welcoming Rachelle to Johns Hopkins.
Sincerely,
Sunil Kumar
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs