A Rochester, N.Y. man, with experience in both public and private universities, has been named director of admissions.

Wayne A. Locust, who has led the admissions efforts at the University of Rochester since 1991, was selected from a field of more than 50 candidates for the job, following a national search, says Susan Steele, UConn's vice provost for undergraduate education and instruction.

"I'm very pleased with the selection of Wayne Locust," Steele said in announcing the appointment. "Wayne has a long history of work in the admissions area, has worked in both public and private settings, and has some very good ideas about the direction he would like take us."

Locust, who will start his job at UConn April 24, replaces Ann Huckenbeck, who retired last year after heading the admissions office for nine years.

Locust earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from West Chester University in West Chester, Pa. He has been director of admissions at the University of Rochester, a selective college of about 4,000 students, since 1991. From 1988-1991, he was associate director of admissions and program director for transfer admissions and from 1982-88 he was assistant director of admissions at West Chester University.

Locust says he can't wait to get started in Storrs.

"UConn is clearly on the move, and I'm excited to be a part of that. The University is well positioned to take a shot at the next level," Locust said.

Locust said UConn's expectations of 5 percent enrollment growth for each of the next few years is "a challenge." But he says he believes there are "opportunities in the UConn market area that I think make meeting that challenge possible. I'm anxious to begin working on it."

At Rochester, Locust's challenge has been in the other direction: officials there have been working during the past few years to cut their total enrollment from about 4,000 to 3,600. Combined with an increase in applicants to more than 9,000 this year, Locust said he has been able to improve the quality of the students. Currently, he says, the mean SAT score for incoming freshmen is 1,300.

Locust is a member of the New York State Advisory Board of the College Board, a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, and the New York State Association of College Admissions Counselors. He and his wife, Kimi, have a 14 year-old daughter, Crystal.

Richard Veilleux