Introducing Dr. Paulette Palafox, Senior Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Services
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 16, 2025—The School of Engineering at Santa Clara University is pleased to announce that Dr. Paulette I. Palafox will serve as the new Senior Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Services.
With over 25 years of experience in organizational management and strategic initiatives, Dr. Palafox has helped shape transformative programs in admissions, recruitment, enrollment, and student services. Prior to joining Santa Clara University, she served as Associate Dean of Admissions & Strategic Initiatives at Golden Gate University School of Law. Throughout her career, she has led efforts to innovate graduate admissions and enhance student services across a diverse academic portfolio. She has provided guidance to thousands of students pursuing graduate study, offering invaluable support in scholarship advising, financial literacy, and career planning.
In her new role, Dr. Palafox will lead efforts to expand enrollment and elevate the student experience at the School of Engineering. Reporting to Dean Kendra Sharp, with a dotted line to the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs, Toby McChesney, she will oversee the development, coordination, and implementation of recruitment and enrollment strategies, as well as student service initiatives that promote retention, academic success, and community engagement.
Dr. Palafox is also dedicated to expanding the School’s efforts to enrich and showcase its diverse and valuable academic offerings, which are grounded in Santa Clara’s Jesuit tradition. She plans to highlight the integration of mission, values, and academics—emphasizing how the School of Engineering educates the whole person and prepares students to lead with both competence and compassion.
She will direct the admissions and student services teams, collaborating closely with faculty, staff, and senior leadership to ensure that students receive high-quality support from their first contact through graduation. A member of the School of Engineering’s Senior Leadership team, Dr. Palafox will work in close partnership with the Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration and the Director of Marketing and Communications to align strategic messaging and strengthen the School’s visibility.
Dr. Palafox brings a student-centered vision to her leadership. Her experience, empathy, and dedication to access and inclusion position her to make a meaningful impact across the School’s programs and student experience.
She has collaborated with faculty and staff to implement innovative student-centered initiatives ranging from retention strategies and graduate school advising to diversity programming and student advocacy. She holds both a master’s degree and a doctorate in education and is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive academic environment.
Outside the office, Dr. Palafox enjoys spending time with her three senior pup sidekicks who may occasionally be spotted joining her on campus.
About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit, Catholic University in the epicenter of Silicon Valley, infusing ethics and social consciousness into a rigorous cross-disciplinary education for its nearly 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
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