From February 2019 to December 2020 Ms. Zeise served as the Director of Operations for MD Admissions at Stanford University from. During that time, she was responsible for project management of activities such as application review, admissions committee meetings, student decisions and notifications; recruitment events such as graduate fairs, Multi-Mini Interviews (MMIs), virtual fairs and interviews during the COVID pandemic, as well as coordinating the Committee of Admissions (COA) Working Group to assist in generating recommendations to the School of Medicine Faculty Senate, and developing the MD Admissions Staff Policy and Procedures Guidelines.

Overall, Ms. Zeise she has 26 years of admissions experience. Currently, she is volunteering at Bella Terra Stables, an Equine-Assisted Therapy organization that offers assistance to children in crisis.

About Me

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mary Christine (Chris) Zeise completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and her Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Duquesne University in 1999.

Following a career in the U.S. Air Force—as well as a variety of positions in accounting, teaching, and administration—Chris joined Carnegie Mellon University in 1994 as the Assistant to the Department Head. She was then promoted the Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations. During her 19-year tenure with Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Chris was very active in addressing graduate student issues. She served on a number of committees, including the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee for Graduate Education, the Foreign Student Advisory Committee, and the Engineering Advancement Committee and continued to actively participate in meetings pertaining to graduate education policies.

In May 2009, the Dean for the College of Engineering appointed Ms. Zeise as the Director of Admissions and Alumni Relations for Carnegie Mellon University at their Silicon Valley campus (CMU-SV) where she remained until February 2019. Here, she was responsible for student recruitment, application review, admissions, and commencement activities, specifically for students enrolled in the Integrated Innovation Institute that offers a Master of Science in Software Management and Master of Science in Technology Ventures and a Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services. She enjoyed maintaining contact with students from their arrival to departure, assisting in all steps in between whenever she could.

In 2017 Ms. Zeise was a nominee for the College of Engineering Continuous Excellence Award. The Staff Recognition Awards honor staff members who demonstrate outstanding qualities such as innovation, leadership, dedication, positive attitude, and being a team player.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Ms. Zeise also initiated the American Football 101 workshop for new students at CMU-SV and worked to implement other alumni events such as Carnival West. The goal of these social events was to provide a sense of belonging to all of the students and alumni for the numerous global locations of CMU.

Specialty Areas

Students Enrolled