ate Riley Smith '98 vividly remembers the day she was admitted to Kellogg. When she opened her letter of acceptance, she says, a sense of euphoria set in.

"The moment I decided to come to Kellogg," Smith says, "I knew I was setting myself on a course to change the trajectory
of my life."

As Kellogg's new assistant dean of admissions and financial aid, Smith gets to bestow that same feeling on hundreds of Kellogg students each year. She joined the school in February.

Having built a 15-year career in brand management at General Mills, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo, Smith brings extensive marketing and management expertise to Kellogg. In her new role, she will oversee and unify the school's Full-Time, Part-Time and Executive MBA admissions programs.

"We have built exceptional admissions teams dedicated to serving each of our programs," Smith says. "We have the opportunity to build a best-in-class admissions structure across all of the Kellogg programs to meet the unique needs of each student."

Smith notes that Kellogg will continue to leverage its innovative programs to attract high-caliber students. For example, the school recently created a new accelerated option, which allows qualified Part-Time MBA students to earn their degree in just over a year.

In addition, Smith plans to focus on deepening Kellogg's digital connection to students. "We need to stay at the forefront of where people are connecting — such as through social media — and be a part of those conversations," she says. "That will help us identify the students who are going to have the greatest impact at Kellogg and beyond."

Walking through the hallways where she once was a student, Smith says she is energized by the direction that Kellogg is taking to redefine management education.

"There is tremendous positive energy that you feel when you're at Kellogg," Smith says. "We need to ensure that every touch point for prospective students is reflective of that experience. We want future students to understand the array of amazing opportunities that Kellogg has to offer."

— By Amy Trang