Paul Dieken, who currently serves as a senior associate director of financial aid at the University of Southern California, will be Pomona’s next director of financial aid starting July 5.
Dieken hails from Southern California, earning a B.A. in political science from UCLA, and earning both his M.Ed. and Ed.D. from USC.
As senior associate director at USC, Dieken oversees a staff charged with packaging more than 25,000 current and prospective students aid applicants a year. He ensures compliance with federal and state regulations in the packaging of financial aid and over the years has been heavily involved in developing the financial aid system as part of the USC Student Information System.
"Paul is someone who builds good relationships with other departments to support student success, and his philosophy around the financial aid process is to make it as easy as possible for students and families," says Seth Allen, Pomona College's vice president for strategy & dean of admissions and financial aid.
For the past twenty-six years, Dieken has worked at USC in financial aid, rising during that time from financial aid counselor to his current role as senior associate director overseeing the aid coordination unit of the financial aid office. For the last eight years, he has also served as an adjunct assistant professor in USC’s Rossier School of Education, teaching classes on the History ofHigher Education, Higher Education Finance, Financial Aid and Assessment in Higher Education. Prior to USC, Dieken also served as the college registrar at Phillips College in the nearby area. With more than 28 years of higher education experience, Dieken will bring a wealth of experience to his role at Pomona.
"Paul’s skill as an educator, his interest in building partnerships with other offices, simplifying and clarifying communication, and his interest in helping students navigate what is often a complex financial aid process, make him the right fit as the next head of the financial aid office," adds Allen.