In a recent letter to alumni, Serita Lewis, program director for the Wharton Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid, provided several updates about goings on in Philadelphia.

Most of them we’ve already blogged about – the release of the 2011 application essay questions, upcoming admissions events around the globe and the departure of MBA Admissions Director Thomas Caleel.

But there were a few new tidbits of information that we wanted to share.

Confirming that Caleel has indeed stepped down and is no longer the admissions director, Lewis assured alumni that he will continue to remain an active part of the Wharton community, making appearances at admissions events to share his Wharton experiences with prospective applicants.

Meanwhile, a search committee has been created and is working hard to find Caleel’s replacement. During this process, Anjani Jain, vice dean of the Wharton Graduate Division, will serve as the interim director of MBA Admissions, and Senior Associate Directors Judith Hodara and Jackie Zavitz will lead day-to-day operations.

While mourning Caleel’s departure, the admissions office also is celebrating the arrival of two new staffers, according to Lewis. Tiffany Gooden and Kathryn Bezell will be joining the admissions team as associate directors in the next few weeks. Gooden’s focus will be on diversity recruitment initiatives, and Bezell will concentrate on the Volunteer Admissions Committee while also collaborating with staff on marketing, communications and alumni engagement efforts.

嗯，不知道新的director是谁？会不会对中国申请人更加友好。

不管换谁作director，Dean才是policy的decision maker。