UNH Today

When Annie Nevells joined Paul College in 2019, she and the graduate programs began a journey of parallel growth. 

Five years later, as Nevells steps into the role of director of graduate enrollment and advising, the program's upward trajectory continues as it welcomes its largest cohort of students. 

Nevells’ dedication to student recruitment, reducing biases in admissions and willingness to go the extra mile for her staff and program were among the reasons she earned the 2024 UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics Dean’s Award of Excellence. 

A Passion for Graduate Studies   

With a background in admissions and alumni services, Nevells jumped at the opportunity to work with graduate programs at Paul College. 

“I'm passionate about working with adult learners and students who see the value in education bringing them to the next steps — the thing that's going to get them the next job or the quality of life they're looking for,” Nevells says. 

Since day one, Nevells has focused on growing Paul’s graduate program. She played a crucial role in launching two new programs — the MS in finance and the MS in business analytics. 

When those programs showed significant growth among international students, Nevells spearheaded the RISE program (Resources for the International Student Experience) to support and enhance the experience of international students. 

 “With our international students, we grow through word of mouth. If they have a good experience here, they will go home, tell their families and friends about their experience, and it will be a self-feeding cycle,” Nevells says.   

Recently, Nevells secured a partnership with the federal government's Office of Personnel Management, making Paul College one of the Federal Academic Alliance partners, resulting in discounted graduate programs to federal employees, their spouses and dependents.   

“That’s something I’m very proud of,” Nevells says, “Every federal employee is made aware of these schools at their orientations during their benefit fair. Every federal branch you can think of is now told about Paul College and our graduate programs.” 

Becoming a Leader   

Nevells has embraced opportunities to grow as a leader, including participating in the HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) Leadership Institute, a leadership development program for women in higher education. 

“What shines through for me as a staff member is Annie's leadership style,” says Cynthia Plascencia, academic advisor for graduate programs and one of four colleagues to nominate Nevells for the award. “She continuously uses her seat at leadership tables to emphasize the value of graduate education, both to the student and to UNH. She also uses her position to invite others to bring their ideas to the table.”   

Nevells is also passionate about creating equitable opportunities, co-chairing the Paul College DEI committee and actively participating in the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP). She has become a leading voice in addressing implicit bias in the admissions process, developing comprehensive implicit bias training for application review committees and presenting her work at national conferences. 

“When we saw significant growth in our international student community, I realized we needed to implement a better approach,” Nevells says. “This issue was also being discussed at the national level, as many campuses were grappling with how to help application reviewers, faculty and staff understand the diverse backgrounds of students — whether international, domestic or from various work or financial backgrounds — without letting implicit bias influence their decisions."  

Looking ahead, Nevells is excited about serving in the role as director of graduate enrollment and advising, which will allow her to expand her focus beyond admissions to include advising, curriculum development and program management.   

"Mentoring has been a huge part of my growth as a leader. I've had great mentors throughout my career, especially at Paul College, where I've seen women in leadership roles and envision myself following a similar path,” Nevells says.