Phil Caffrey
BS Psychology ’80
MS Education ’84
Ankeny, Iowa
Even after 27 years of service to the Office of Admissions, Phil Caffrey continues to seek new educational paths and opportunities for Iowa State’s students. Last year this senior associate director of admissions played a key role on the Regent Admissions Study Team, which completely revamped the freshman admission requirements to Iowa’s public universities – admission requirements that had been in place for five decades.
In addition to his leadership in innovation for Iowa’s public university students, Caffrey has also been instrumental in enhancing Iowa State’s own admissions processes. He has helped enroll record numbers of students at Iowa State, even in the face of a weakened economy. ISU enrolled its second-largest freshman class ever in fall 2008, marking the university’s fourth-straight year of new freshman enrollment growth.
As co-chair of the university’s Open Option Task Force, Caffrey has worked to improve Iowa State’s recruitment and retention of students who are undecided about their majors. His oversight of student-athlete admissions and service on ISU’s Athletics Compliance Committee help ISU ensure full compliance with NCAA regulations.
A recipient of the regional and statewide “Outstanding Admissions Person of the Year” awards from the Iowa Counseling Association in 1994 and of the Regents Award for Staff Excellence in 2002, Caffrey also received the ISU P&S Council’s 2008 CYtation Award.
Caffrey has a long history of ISU involvement and loyalty, including membership in the ISU Alumni Association and Cyclone Club. He and his wife, Karla, have three children: Dawn (’07 kinesiology; M.S. ’09 educational leadership and policy studies), Kyle, and Carrie.
