Dean of Admissions Costas Solomou will step down in August, according to a University release Friday.

Solomou will leave his post to serve as the vice president for enrollment at SUNY-Geneseo. Ben Toll, the director of recruitment and outreach, will serve as interim dean beginning Aug. 1 until a replacement is found.

In an email sent to GW admissions staff Friday, Solomou said he has lived away from his family for nearly four years since he first took the position in July 2016, and the opportunity to move closer to his family “outweighed my desire to stay at GW.”

“It has been a challenge for me to be here without my girls,” he wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Hatchet. “They are my world. Many of you also know that I am a dad first – always have been.”

GW’s admissions rate has increased each year since Solomou assumed the post, only dipping this spring. He most recently oversaw an overhaul of freshman orientation, switching from multiple sessions during the summer to a single session in the fall. Solomou also launched financial aid workshops for prospective undergraduate students and embarked on recruitment trips to help students from historically underrepresented communities fill out their college applications.

The efforts have contributed to increased enrollment – the Class of 2022 was the largest freshman class at GW since at least 2008, breaking the Unversity’s long-declining yield rate. Last year was also the first in nine that the University did not admit any students from the waitlist.

Officials’ recruitment strategies have also led to a more diverse student population. The University’s undergraduate student body was its most diverse in recent history last academic year.

“Costas has led our undergraduate admissions team with distinction and integrity, bringing a collaborative spirit, positive attitude and, most importantly, a passion for the success of our students,” Laurie Koehler, the senior vice provost for enrollment and the student experience, said in the release.