CHICAGO, IL (Aug. 12, 2025) — Michael J. Usher has been named interim vice president of admissions and enrollment, bringing seasoned leadership to guide the University’s enrollment strategy. He will begin serving in the role on a part-time basis Monday, Aug. 18, and will assume full-time responsibilities on Monday, Sept. 8.
As interim vice president, Usher will report to Adler President Lisa Coleman, Ph.D., and partner closely with Academic Affairs and Communications and Marketing to strengthen recruitment pipelines, enhance the student experience, and drive long-term net-tuition growth.
Usher joins the University after an accomplished tenure at Saint Xavier University, where he has served since January 2024 as assistant vice president for enrollment. During that time, he brought in the largest first-year class in the school’s history and is on track to surpass that milestone with an even larger class this fall. He also achieved a 22.5% increase in transfer enrollment — the largest cohort in seven years — modernized recruitment technology and communication processes to enhance the applicant experience, relaunched the MBA program, and introduced four new specializations that strengthened graduate-level growth.
Earlier in his career, Usher spent a decade at Loyola University Chicago, ultimately directing undergraduate transfer recruitment and expanding study abroad enrollment at the John Felice Rome Center. His more than 15 years in higher education leadership span admissions strategy, customer relationship management (CRM) optimization, community college partnerships, and cross-departmental collaboration focused on student success.
A Chicago resident, Usher holds an MBA with a specialization in entrepreneurship from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Eastern Illinois University.