Enrollment Office

Karen Hunt

Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success
304.829.7591
khunt@bethanywv.edu

Karen Hunt joined Bethany College as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success in May of 2018.

Previously, Karen was the Executive Director of Admissions at Wittenberg University in Ohio, where she was responsible for recruitment, admission, scholarships, new student financial aid, admission marketing and communications, for a campus of 1900 students. During her tenure, Karen and her team increased new student headcount by more than 15% over five years in line with institutional goals and met or exceeded enrollment/revenue goals each year.

Karen earned her B.A. in communications from Wilmington College and her M.S. in college student personnel service from Miami University of Ohio.

Bob Oltmanns

Director of Communications and Integrated Marketing
304.829.7221
roltmanns@bethanywv.edu

Bob Oltmanns is Director of Communications and Integrated Marketing and brings more than 35 years of professional public relations experience to the college. He is a veteran of the public relations profession and has spent most of his career as a counselor and communications advisor to major corporations and nonprofit institutions.

Bob began his career as a public information officer with the U.S. Department of Energy’s fossil energy research program in 1981. He later transitioned into public relations consulting where he was the owner and president of one of Pa.’s leading independent public relations firms. Most recently, he has been the president of OPR Group LLC, a public relations consultancy in Pittsburgh.

Throughout his career, Bob has developed and implemented award-winning communications programs for clients in the fields of education, law, technology, manufacturing, energy and healthcare, economic development, and others.

Bob holds degrees from Montclair State College in N.J. and the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Engineering. He is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, its College of Fellows, the PRSA Counselor’s Academy, and is a member of the PRSA/Pittsburgh Hall of Fame. He served as president of PRSA’s Pittsburgh chapter as well as president worldwide of IPREX, an international partnership of the world’s leading independent public relations firms.

Bob has also been an adjunct professor of public relations at both Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where he has taught for more than 20 years both at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Additionally, he has served on the board of directors of a number of nonprofit and economic development organizations in Pittsburgh. He is a master rower and is currently the chairman of Three Rivers Rowing Association in Pittsburgh.

Bob and his wife, June, live in Chester, W.Va.

Becky Pauls

Director of Enrollment Management
800.922.7611
rpauls@bethanywv.edu

Becky Pauls returned to Bethany College as the Director of Enrollment Management in August 2016, after having served as an Associate Director of Admission for eight years at Davis & Elkins College. She has worked in higher education since 1993 including several different positions at Bethany and three additional small, private colleges. Some of the positions have included Assistant Director of Admission & Financial Aid, Assistant Registrar and Director of Academic Services. Becky is pleased to be back at Bethany College where she got her start in Enrollment Management in 1995.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Ohio State University.

Becky and her husband Ted, who grew up in Bethany, have lived in the town of Bethany since 1995 with their daughter Hannah and son Garrett.

Laura Doty

Assistant Director of Enrollment Management and Campus Visit Coordinator
304.830.2894
ldoty@bethanywv.edu

Laura Doty joined the Bethany College center for enrollment in August of 2018. Her previous experience includes not only college marketing, branding, recruitment, and student services, but also trust and investment services as well as teaching.

Laura received a B.S. in finance and marketing from Ohio University, an MBA from Wheeling Jesuit University, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Ohio University. She has a passion for the study and practice of both marketing and enrollment management, which is reflected in her dissertation titled: A Study of Enrollment Management Structures and Activities at Community Colleges in Ohio.

Laura is a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, Ohio, where she lives with her family. In her down time, she enjoys baking and attending her children’s many academic and sporting activities.

Julie Bower

Office Assistant, Center for Enrollment
304.829.7611
jbower@bethanywv.edu

Haley Cook

Enrollment Counselor
800.922.7611
hecook@bethanywv.edu

Haley Cook comes to Bethany College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business-Management and an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Indiana Tech, in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Throughout college, Haley was a member of the women’s basketball team and held the position of captain for two years. She is looking forward to helping Bethany grow and prosper academically with the skills she obtained throughout her college playing career.

Haley and her fiancé, John Peckinpaugh, reside in Wheeling, W.Va. She enjoys spending time with her family, coaching basketball, and working out in her free time.

Emily Cowen

Communications Specialist
304.829.7630
ecowen@bethanywv.edu

Emily Cowen is Bethany College’s Communications Specialist, having come from the Morgantown Dominion Post, where she was a multimedia journalist for two years. Originally from Perryopolis, Pa., Emily is a graduate with honors of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, where she majored in public relations. She was the video editor for the student newspaper and was a public relations intern for the Stark County Hunger Task Force and Peanut Free Zone.

Emily has a love of small towns and spends her free time reading outside and furthering her skills in photography and videography.

Johnny Falconi

Enrollment Counselor
800.922.7611
jfalconi@bethanywv.edu

Johnny Falconi is a 2010 graduate of Bethany College with a degree in sports management and a 2014 graduate of Ohio University with a master’s degree in athletic administration. Johnny was a 4-year member of both the Bison Football Team and Track teams.

Johnny has worked as an educational aide, assistant track and football coach, head track and football coach, athletic director, and ticket manager for eight years in different high schools in Ohio and PA. He is looking at bringing his experience as a former student-athlete, coach, and educator to Bethany to help better serve our prospective students.

John resides in Wintersville, Ohio, and enjoys reading, working out, sports, traveling, and working hard to achieve all his goals and aspirations.

Justin T. Miller

Enrollment Database Manager
800.922.7611
jtmiller@bethanywv.edu

Justin Miller is a 2010 graduate of Bethany College. He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Work. Justin has worked with the college since summer 2010 in both Enrollment and Financial Aid.

Justin resides in West Liberty, W Va.

Austin Peterson

Enrollment Counselor
800.922.7611
apeterson@bethanywv.edu

Austin Peterson joined the Bethany College Enrollment team in the summer of 2018. Born in Akron, Ohio, Austin made several moves growing up before ending up in Bethany. He is a recent Magna Cum Lade graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

During his undergrad, Austin was a part of several organizations and served as the Vice President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. He has also worked for Pitt Football and the Pitt athletic department in various capacities.

As one of Bethany’s newest enrollment counselors, Austin oversees recruitment in Calif., Pa., N.J., N.Y., and any international territories.