Mary Christine (Chris) Zeise is a Former Admissions Officer with InGenius Prep and is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. Chris brings over 26 years of extensive experience in graduate admissions to her role. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and an MS in Organizational Leadership from Duquesne University. Her career includes a period of service in the U.S. Air Force, followed by diverse roles in accounting, teaching, and administration, providing her with a broad understanding of various professional environments.
Chris then spent 19 years at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, initially as the Assistant to the Department Head before being promoted to Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations. During her tenure, she actively addressed graduate student issues, serving on committees such as the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee for Graduate Education and the Foreign Student Advisory Committee. In 2009, Chris was appointed the Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations for Carnegie Mellon University at their Silicon Valley campus (CMU-SV), a position she held until 2019. There, she oversaw all aspects of student recruitment, application review, admissions, and commencement for Master’s programs within the Integrated Innovation Institute. She was deeply involved in the student experience from their arrival to departure. In recognition of her contributions, she was nominated for the College of Engineering Continuous Excellence Award in 2017.
Beyond her core responsibilities, Chris also fostered community by initiating events like the American Football 101 workshop and Carnival West for CMU’s global student and alumni network. From 2019 to 2020, Chris served as the Director of Operations for MD Admissions at Stanford University. Her responsibilities included project management for application review, admissions committee meetings, student decisions, recruitment events (including navigating virtual formats during the pandemic), and contributing to policy development. Her extensive and varied experience in graduate admissions, coupled with her dedication to student success, makes her a valuable resource for aspiring graduate students.
