Carmel Nicol serves as the Senior Assistant Director of Graduate and Professional Admissions, Strategic Partnerships and Pacific Priority Lead at Pacific University. She is the primary graduate admissions counselor for the Doctor of Audiology, Master of Speech-Language Pathology, and Post-Baccalaureate in Communication Sciences and Disorders programs. In this role, she leads strategic graduate recruitment initiatives while building collaborative partnerships that strengthen pathways from undergraduate to graduate education. Carmel spearheads the development and expansion of Pacific Priority, the university's guaranteed graduate admissions pathway program, working across academic and administrative units to enhance student success, retention, and graduate enrollment. With extensive experience in graduate admissions, enrollment strategy, student engagement, and relationship management, she is passionate about creating innovative systems that improve access to graduate education and provide high-touch support throughout the student journey. Her expertise includes strategic enrollment planning, cross-campus collaboration, communication strategy, and developing scalable initiatives that align institutional priorities with student success.

Colleagues can come to Carmel for collaboration, strategic problem-solving, and guidance on graduate and professional admissions, enrollment strategy, and student pathway development. She enjoys connecting people and ideas across the university and frequently serves as a liaison between Graduate Admissions and campus partners, helping departments navigate admissions processes, recruitment initiatives, and collaborative projects.

Carmel is a resource for developing outreach strategies, planning recruitment events, delivering classroom and campus presentations about graduate education, and creating communications that engage prospective and current students. She also welcomes opportunities to partner on initiatives that strengthen the undergraduate-to-graduate student pipeline, improve the student experience, and foster cross-department collaboration. Whether brainstorming a new idea, identifying the right campus connection, or finding solutions to complex enrollment challenges, colleagues can count on her as a responsive and collaborative partner.

Outside of work, Carmel enjoys traveling, spending time at the beach, and listening to true crime and mystery podcasts—especially stories that challenge her to solve the puzzle before the ending. Family is at the center of her life; she is a proud girl mom to her daughters, Maisie and Ruby, and one of triplets with two sisters, making family gatherings especially lively. She enjoys creating new memories with loved ones and is always looking forward to the next adventure of culture, food, and meeting new people.