MJ Knoll-Finn

Dr. MJ Knoll-Finn is Senior Vice President for Global Enrollment Management and Student Success. A national leader in higher education, Knoll-Finn heads the highly strategic, values driven division of Enrollment Management at New York University. With a personal commitment to excellence and inclusion, she has a proven track record of increasing diversity, academic quality, selectivity, retention and graduation rates in a variety of academic institutions. During Knoll-Finn’s time at NYU, she has spearheaded several strategies that have resulted in doubling the number of first-year applications to almost 120,000, while improving the diversity and academic profile of incoming students, and improving student retention and graduation rates. These successes can be attributed, in part, to her leadership in developing both an Access and Pre-College Programs Office within Undergraduate Admissions and an Office of Student Success that supports student persistence. Knoll-Finn is an innovator in the industry, with over 32 years of experience. She frequently speaks at national and regional conferences on current trends in higher education, and the strategic use of analytics and data in enrollment strategy and institutional positioning. Knoll-Finn leads her staff to recognize and understand personal stories as well as how to use data strategically. She encourages learning diverse viewpoints and understanding generational differences as a framework to inform support for students and work across the university. Knoll-Finn’s division is responsible for undergraduate enrollment functions, institutional research, and data governance across NYU's schools and colleges in New York and degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. In addition, the division offers strategic consulting to the graduate schools. Before joining NYU, Knoll-Finn served as Vice President of Enrollment for Emerson College after a tenure as Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Northeastern University School of Law. Her Board memberships include The College Board and the US Strategic Advisory Board of IDP-Connect. Knoll-Finn earned her BA as a first-gen student from the University of New Hampshire and holds an MBA from Northeastern University. She earned her doctorate of education in Leadership and Innovation from NYU Steinhardt’s School of Culture, Education and Human Development.