Enrollment Vice President Paul-James Cukanna Announces Retirement

Paul-James Cukanna has announced that he will retire from his position as vice president for enrollment management, effective Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. University administration is considering plans for a national search to identify a successor.

Cukanna was named the University’s first vice president for enrollment management in fall 2016. In this role, he oversees enrollment planning, projections and strategy implementation, and provides executive leadership to Duquesne’s Enrollment Management Group. The EMG includes the areas of undergraduate admissions, graduate admissions, financial aid, university registrar, enrollment research and systems, marketing and communications, and retention and advisement.

He collaboratively led efforts to enroll two of Duquesne’s largest incoming classes (2017 and 2018) and one of its most diverse and academically promising classes (2019).

Cukanna first joined Duquesne as director of institutional research in 1997. He was named executive director of domestic and international admission in 2001 and associate vice president for admissions in 2004. Cukanna began serving as the associate provost for enrollment management in 2008.

In a message to his staff, Cukanna wrote, “I’ve truly come to appreciate the complexity of our University and the daily sacrifices of many—as well as the simple yet profound appeal of our Spiritan mission of service to students.”

Prior to Duquesne, Cukanna spent 18 years working in enrollment services at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. His professional area of interest is providing access to and choice in higher education to academically competitive students from disadvantaged, marginalized and under-represented backgrounds.

In addition to his work at the University, Cukanna is also an alumnus, having earned a master’s degree in liberal arts from Duquesne in 2000. He also received the 2002 President’s Distinguished Staff Award for his exceptional dedication and service to the Duquesne University community.