Valentina Lopez; M.Ed.

Valentina is the Executive Director of Admissions, Recruitment, and Financial Aid at NYU Abu Dhabi, where provides strategic leadership for the university’s global recruitment, admissions, and financial aid operations. She represents NYUAD in senior enrollment management and admissions leadership forums and oversees the university’s partnership with the Institute of International Education.

Valentina leads recruitment efforts across the UAE and internationally, advancing NYUAD’s commitment to building one of the world’s most diverse and globally representative student bodies. She manages a globally distributed admissions team spanning the United States, Europe, and the UAE, and oversees an extended network of recruitment professionals across Latin America, Africa, and Central Asia. As a key member of NYUAD’s leadership, Valentina helps shape long-term strategies that strengthen the university’s global brand recognition, reputation, and positioning within the UAE. 

With more than a decade of experience in international student recruitment and senior enrollment leadership at leading global universities, Valentina specializes in highly selective admissions, global mobility, and high-performance team development. Prior to joining NYUAD, she served as Associate Registrar and Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment at the University of Toronto, where she led large-scale internationalization initiatives that drove sustained growth in international student enrollment. 

Valentina holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History (HBA) from the University of Toronto. She is an active member of the global international education community and a frequent speaker at international conferences on recruitment strategy and the future of higher education.