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Our People

Bill Battelle

Director of Catering – "King of the Commissary"

I have been working with Chartwells for almost 13 years – all of them here at WPI.  I am constantly being kept on my toes by the ever-changing food and beverage needs on campus.  WPI entertains many guests throughout the year, from prospective students and their parents to domestic and foreign dignitaries and their constituents.  I like my job because of all the great people I work with – we treat each other, and depend on each other, as family.  My staff and I have been together for many years – the shortest tenure of the full-timers is seven years - and we are always up for a new challenge while constantly making sure WPI has the best food and, the best service, and that it’s done with the best intentions each and every day.  My wife also works for WPI - she works in the Events Office as an events coordinator. 

Nick Galotti

Senior Web Applications Developer, Division of Marketing & Communications – "Robot Fanatic"

I am responsible for developing database-driven Web applications and interactive interfaces for the website.  I also help manage the content management system and maintain the Web structure on the webserver.  My job gives me the opportunity to work with people from most other departments throughout the university.  This allows me to meet and interact with many fascinating people each and every day.  In my spare time I am active with all the robotics competitions on campus from BattleCry@WPI, as Director of Fun; to RoboNautica as Technical Director.  I received the RoboNautica Volunteer of the Year award in 2007.  I help sponsor Savage Soccer @ WPI and serve on the game design committee for that competition.  I am also the advisor of a WPI-sponsored robotics team at Burncoat High School. This robotics team competes throughout New England.  In the summer of 2008, I started a new summer program at WPI called the Junior Robotics Challenge, in which  middle-school students from across the state come to learn how to program and build small robots during a week-long class.

Leanne Johnson

Program Administrator, Global Perspective Program – "Connecting Students to the World"

I work with the Dean of the Interdisciplinary & Global Studies Division (IGSD), the Director of Global Operations, and our project center directors, to ensure that WPI students complete projects through the global program in safe, well-managed, and sustainable ways. This entails a lot of things, but one of my favorites is preparing our students for the cultural, social, and logistical challenges that are part of a study-abroad experience. Living and working abroad – especially on the kinds of projects WPI students do– should be an enriching experience that expands students’ knowledge of the world, and their awareness of the diversity of life. It’s my responsibility to help ensure that everything is in place to foster a positive and productive off-campus project experience.

I also enjoy speaking with and meeting parents who have questions about our application process, the project center their student is going to, the living arrangements, the expenses associated with the projects, and many other issues.

I started working at WPI in July of 2007. My colleagues in the IGSD are knowledgeable, dedicated, and efficient professionals with a collective appreciation for laughter. Combined with everything I’ve described above, the easy camaraderie we share makes my work a pleasure.

Jeanine Skorinko

Assistant Professor of Psychology Division – "A Highly-Connected Educator”

As an Assistant Professor, I’m able to introduce students to the field of psychology, the scientific methodology that surrounds the study of psychology, and the importance of the different fields of psychology in their professional and personal lives.  At the same time, I get to come up with interesting research questions and conduct scientific experiments investigating these research questions.  And, I’m able  to be involved in my department and the larger WPI community via different committees that I serve on (e.g., Community Council, Undergraduate Psychological Science Major/Minor Advisor). 

One of the best parts about being at WPI is that I’m able to socialize with others from many different areas—electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, management, humanities, facilities, etc. 

Another great aspect about my job is the opportunities that exist to advise students at project centers around the world.  For instance, I took 23 students to Hong Kong in the early spring of 2009 with another faculty member, Stan Selkow.

I’m told that promotions are determined in my department based on the quality of my research endeavors, my success in the classroom, and by how fast I can run a 5k.

I love the flexibility, the diversity in what I do, and the constant intellectual stimulation.  Teaching, mentoring and research are the highlights of my day.  I enjoy interacting with and working with my students. I often tell people that my students keep me young and hip--though that second part is debatable. 

I also love conducting social psychological research, analyzing the data (whether it works or not), and showing a final product to the community (via talks, posters, and publications).  I encourage my students to get involved in the research process as assistants in my lab, and I love collaborating with my students on research projects.

Don Pellegrino

Lab Manager, Civil & Environmental Engineering – ”Ringleader of Research”

I have been employed by WPI for nine years.My job in Civil and Environmental Engineering consists of helping faculty and students with projects they are working on. This includes helping with the design and creation of test fixtures for structural, pavement, and impact testing. I also teach students how to operate the vast inventory of testing equipment we have in CEE, including equipment that tests the physical properties of materials such as metal, wood, concrete, pavement, and ceramics.

In the Environmental Lab I teach students how to operate instruments that analyze material for its organic and inorganic components. These materials include but are not limited to soil, sediments, and plants from rivers and ponds. I also work with them on preparing their samples for analysis.

I work with faculty in CEE and other departments to help bring their research projects to a successful conclusion by doing the physical testing and chemical analysis when it is required. It is also my job to make sure our equipment and instruments are kept in top working condition.

I can say without hesitation that there is something in everything I do that keeps my interest. One week I can be in Maine or New Hampshire testing roads with our pavement research laboratory van, the next week I can be taking samples of materials from rivers and ponds on Cape Cod to take back to the lab for analysis, or testing the effects of dynamic loading on a carnival ride.

When I’m working with students I am constantly amazed at how they soak up information. It’s a great feeling to watch them take what I have taught them and then use it on projects that may have a very positive impact on society.

The diversity of the faculty and students is also one of the benefits of working in CEE and WPI in general. There are people here from literally every corner of the globe. For me it’s a chance to get to learn about different cultures, religions, histories, and governments.

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: January 20, 2009 17:14:03