Rhonda Kitch, university registrar, has been named president-elect of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), one of the nation’s largest educational professional organizations.

Kitch, who had served on AACRAO’s board of directors as vice president at large, will begin a three-year term as president-elect starting this year.

The AACRAO is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association of more than 11,000 higher education professionals who represent approximately 2,600 institutions in more than 40 countries. Its mission is to provide professional development, guidelines and voluntary standards to be used by higher education officials regarding the best practices in records management, admissions, enrollment management, administrative information technology and student services.

“I am honored to continue to serve on AACRAO’s board of directors,” Kitch said. “During my three-year term, I am enthusiastic about contributing to national discussions related to registrar, admission, and enrollment management work and share a wealth of innovative expertise and best practices with Cornell colleagues.”

“Cornell has been fortunate in hiring Rhonda,” said Jonathan Burdick, Cornell vice provost for enrollment. “After a national search pre-COVID, bringing her leadership, experience and insight to Cornell helped safeguard our success during COVID. Cornell’s professional reputation in student services benefits as she begins to lead a prestigious national organization, too.”

As president-elect, Kitch will serve as principal assistant to the president and will assist the president, the board and the AACRAO office in assessing and planning for the needs, activities and direction of the association. Along with representing the president when requested, she will also carry out general responsibilities required of members of the board, including establishing strategic direction for the association; setting the mission; ensuring resources; overseeing the association’s performance; and serving as a member on up to three board committees.

Kitch earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Minot State University in 1995; a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs from Minnesota State University in 1999; and a doctorate in education from North Dakota State University in 2015.