Robert Penman joined UC Davis as executive director of Undergraduate Admissions in 2021. He provides leadership for the recruitment and admissions of undergraduate students, as well as K-to-14 outreach and academic preparation programs. He supports the university’s commitment to making a world-class education accessible to students of all backgrounds and to further enhancing the diversity of the student body.

Penman has more than two decades of experience in undergraduate admissions, most of that time at the University of California. Previously, he was associate director of undergraduate admissions at UC Berkeley, where he directed outreach and recruitment strategies and oversaw statewide, national and international recruitment to meet campus enrollment and diversity goals. One of his key accomplishments at Berkeley was increasing freshman and transfer applications, while also significantly growing the number of applications from Chicanx/Latinx, African American, first-generation college going, rural and international students.

Other previous posts include director of admission for outreach and marketing, Samuel Merritt University (2015-18); coordinator of admissions events and communications, Undergraduate Admissions, University of California Office of the President (2013-15); and marketing and communications manager, Undergraduate Admissions, UC Riverside (2010-13). He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from UC Riverside and a Master of Business Administration in marketing from Cal State Fullerton.