Dr. Alfredo Varela is the associate director of international recruitment in the Office of Admissions. Dr. Varela supports the goals of Student Services and Enrollment Management and Admissions by taking a comprehensive, responsive approach to international recruitment. Along with his team, he is responsible for connecting with prospective students from around the globe, working with non-citizens in more than 150 countries and in US. The international admissions team also supports US citizens studying overseas who wish to earn their bachelor’s degree at the UO. Dr. Varela joined UO Admissions in 2021 and has 30 years of experience in international higher education.

Dr. Varela has worked and conducted research in Ghana and Japan, where he spent more than nine years teaching and advising students. He has served at other large state institutions, including Stony Brook University and Ball State University. Throughout his career, he has traveled to more than 50 countries, including the Kingdom of Bhutan. He earned his doctoral degree from Stony Brook University in Anthropology. He has presented at regional and national meetings of NAFSA, International NACAC, and EducationUSA offices around the world. He also served as a newspaper editor and displayed his photographs at three exhibits in Japan. Professionally, he most enjoys mentoring his colleagues.

Alfredo enjoys gardening, photography, and looks forward to riding his bicycle around Oregon. When possible, he enjoys quiet moments with his spouse, Hiroko, and four daughters, enjoying a good home-cooked meal or watching a film together. Alfredo loves campus life and hopes students will reach out and say hello. He quickly became an ardent Ducks fan with season tickets to football and women’s basketball.