The Office of Admissions is made up of three main areas: Admissions Processing, Information Technology and Student Recruitment.

Our Mission

To provide information, pathways and resources that give access to world-changing opportunities at the University of Houston. We aim to recruit academically promising students, provide timely admissions evaluation and deliver an orientation and enrollment experience that establishes a foundation toward college retention and graduation.

Our Vision

To create a diverse, inclusive and academically competitive university that has been shaped by high-touch and data-driven initiatives. A place that’s relentless about college access, a destination for academically competitive students and a model within the field of college admissions.

Facts & Figures

• 60+ full-time employees and 50+ part-time student staff
• Regionally located in Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth and McAllen
• 46,000+ undergraduate applications annually
• Incoming students represent nearly every county in Texas and every state in the U.S. as well as 90+ nations around the world

Our Leadership

Dr. Mardell Maxwell

Executive Director
mrmaxwe2@central.uh.edu

Dr. Mardell Maxwell joined the Office of Admissions in April 2017. He provides leadership and administrative oversight to undergraduate admissions, prospective student recruitment, new student orientation and enrollment. Prior to moving to Houston, he served as an admissions professional at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kansas State University.

Keisha Lyons

Director, Enrollment Management IT
kdlyons@central.uh.edu

Keisha Lyons joined the Office of Admissions in April 2021. She oversees the development and deployment of information technology resources to support enrollment services in Admissions. Originally from Baton Rouge, she received her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University. She has over 20 years of information technology experience with a comprehensive background in Oracle programming and database design. She is committed to delivering quality products and excellent customer service and support.

Kara Gaffney

Director, Admissions Processing 
kegaffne@central.uh.edu 

Kara Gaffney joined the Office of Admissions in May 2025. She brings over a decade of experience in higher education admissions, enrollment strategy and process improvement. In her role, she oversees key areas of admission application processing to ensure efficient, student-centered operations. Prior to joining UH, she held progressively responsible leadership roles in recruitment and admissions as well as other enrollment management fields in Texas and Colorado. Kara is passionate about using data-informed strategies to streamline admissions workflows in order to support student access and success.