Connecting students to opportunities and community

For Elvis Parada, creating a positive student experience begins long before a student arrives on campus. As Director of Student Affairs and Admissions at the UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences since February 2025, he helps guide prospective students through the admissions process while supporting the programs, events, and opportunities that help students thrive throughout their graduate journey.

"This past year has been a whirlwind of learning and growth — from admissions to student organizations, every day brings new opportunities to support students and help them succeed."

What do you do day-to-day in your role?
I oversee Admissions and Student Organizations at GSBS, which involves extensive planning and coordination. I manage the application review process with faculty committee members, organize Visitation and Interview Weekend events (both in-person and virtual) for prospective students, and coordinate New Student Orientation for new incoming students. Additionally, I work closely with student organization officers to ensure timelines, policies, and procedures are followed so they are able to host events on campus.

What are some of the projects you are working on?
One of the major projects I’m currently leading is the onboarding of a new application platform that will launch in September for the upcoming admissions cycle. This transition is a significant effort, as it involves coordinating with multiple stakeholders and ensuring a smooth rollout, with the goal of enhancing the applicant’s experience throughout the admissions process.

In addition, I am preparing for New Student Orientation in August, which is a large-scale, week-long program designed to onboard over 100 new incoming GSBS students. This involves extensive planning and coordination to ensure a seamless and welcoming experience for the new cohort.

What excites you the most about working at the Graduate School?
Being part of a truly student-centered team in the Dean’s Office, where every initiative is designed with the student experience and support in mind. I also enjoy collaborating with student leaders to create meaningful opportunities, seminars, and experiences that support and enrich students throughout their graduate journey.

What are some of your hobbies or things you enjoy outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy unwinding with a good TV series or movie. I also value spending time with friends and family, whether that’s relaxing at home or getting together socially. I especially enjoy planning a family vacation or two throughout the year — whether it’s exploring a new destination or simply taking time to recharge and reset. It always gives me something to look forward to.

What skills do you find most valuable in your role?
Strong organizational and project management abilities, since much of the work involves coordinating complex processes like admissions cycles, large-scale events, and student programming with multiple stakeholders. Clear communication is also essential — whether working with faculty committees, prospective students, or student leaders, being able to convey information effectively and keep everyone aligned is critical.

I also find relationship building to be key. Building trust with administration offices, faculty, staff, and students helps ensure smooth collaboration and a more supportive environment. In addition, attention to detail, adaptability and a student-centered mindset is especially important in admissions and policy-related work, where accuracy and consistency directly impact both prospective and current students’ experience.

What was your journey to the Graduate School?
I’ve been part of the UTHealth Houston system for over 13 years. My journey began at the School of Public Health, followed by the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, and most recently, I joined GSBS in February 2025.

Across all of my roles, I’ve worked in Admissions, Recruitment, and Student Affairs. Through both direct and indirect involvement in all UTHealth Houston school-wide events, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand, the strong student-centered philosophy at GSBS, which ultimately drew me to join the Graduate School.

What is your favorite memory while working at the Graduate School so far?
Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW)! It’s a fun and engaging week dedicated entirely to celebrating our students, with a variety of student-centered events and cool swag. It’s a great opportunity to show our appreciation and recognize the impact our students have on the GSBS community.