Karen Richardson, dean of admission at Princeton since 2019, has been appointed dean of admission and financial aid as of July 1, 2022. Elizabeth Badger has been named director of undergraduate financial aid and student employment, also effective July 1.
As dean of admission and financial aid, Richardson oversees the Princeton University Admission team that is charged with recruitment and selection of the University’s first-year and transfer classes. In addition, she oversees the Financial Aid Office, which runs the University’s pioneering need-based financial aid program and student employment.
Previously, Richardson was dean of admissions and enrollment management at Tufts University, where she had held the positions of director of graduate admissions and director of diversity recruitment prior to being appointed dean in July 2016.
Richardson’s career in education also has focused on K-12 public school administration. She served as deputy superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS) and was a program director with the BPS Office of Teaching and Learning and director of the Exam School Initiative.
Richardson received her A.B. in politics from Princeton in 1993 and holds a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Common Application.
As director of undergraduate financial aid and student employment, Badger is charged with leading a staff of 16, which served more than 3,300 undergraduates in 2021.
Badger has been a member of Princeton’s Aid Office for 15 years. She started in the office as an assistant director and most recently served as interim director and senior associate director.
Badger received her B.A in public relations and sociology from The Pennsylvania State University and holds a master’s degree in education from Boston University.