May 20, 2004

Profile: Bill Haarlow

Title: Director of College Admission-Relations

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

What do you do? I’m the liaison between the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office and the Office of Undergraduate Admission. I’m also a lecturer in American Studies. This quarter I’m teaching: “The History of Higher Education in America.”

What happens during a typical day? I wear many hats. For example, today I met admissions office and dean’s office colleagues to discuss our new majors and minors brochures. Then, I taught my course from 11 to 12:20. After lunch, Dean Linzer and I met with a prospective student and her parents. Later, I attended a meeting about “Preview NU,” which is the admission office on-campus program for admitted students. I also reviewed student applications and organized the Weinberg College’s participation in other admission office events.

What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy golf, travel, reading, going to the CSO and spending as much time as I can with my family.

How about that commute to work? Whether I take the train or drive, it takes me about an hour to get to work. My wife and I live in Hinsdale — where both of us grew up — with our three-and-a-half-year-old boy and 10-month-old girl. We enjoy living in Hinsdale again as adults. We still have a lot of family and friends there.

Education: I received my A.B. in history from Princeton and my M.A. in social sciences from the University of Chicago. I got my Ph.D. in the history of higher education from the University of Virginia.

One Degree of Separation: In the mid-1990s, I was a development officer at the University of Chicago, where I worked with Matt TerMolen. He’s now associate vice president for alumni relations and development at Northwestern, so in a sense we’re still working together. It really is a small world.

— Marilyn Idelman Soglin