Our Staff
Emily Balcom
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5645
ebalcom@wpi.edu
Emily Balcom
- Assistant Dean and Director of Residential Services
I am excited to join WPI as the Assistant Dean and Director of Residential Services. I bring 17 years of residence life experience at a variety of institutions to WPI, and look forward to engaging with the faculty, staff, and students. I have chosen to work in the student services field because I firmly believe that fostering a positive student experience outside the classroom is integral to supporting success in the classroom. In my role, I oversee Residential Services, Dining Services, ID Services, and the Bookstore. Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my two children. They are true "campus kids", so keep an eye out for us and say hello!
Brian Burnham
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5175
blburnham@wpi.edu
Brian Burnham
- Associate Director of Residential Services
I have been in higher education for over 12 years and starting this past year at WPI it already feels like home with great students and staff. I am responsible for managing College Sponsored Housing for undergraduate students. Additionally, I oversee the supervision and training of the Residence Life staff and is responsible for social and educational programs in the residence halls. Outside of WPI, I serve as president of the Boston Area College Housing Association (BACHA), and I recently retired from the Air National Guard after 24 years of service.
Amy Beth Polonsky Laythe
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5130
apolonsky@wpi.edu
Amy Beth Polonsky Laythe
- Associate Director of Operations
I work with facilities for all the halls, manage the peripheral properties owned by WPI that are leased to graduate students, and coordinate the logistics related to summer conference housing. I have been at WPI for 4 years and love it! I love the logic that WPI students bring to every situation and they give me great feedback whenever it is needed. In my personal time, I am an avid Boston sports fan and attend games whenever I have the chance. I also love to bowl and am a big fan of trivia.
Mike Hamilton
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5308
mjham@wpi.edu
Mike Hamilton
- Assistant Director
I love working with the students of WPI. In my role over the past few years, I've met many fascinating students who do amazing things. Supervising and advising students gives me the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of students every day. My role helps me find valuable learning and teaching opportunities for my students outside of the classroom. It is from these moments that I find the most satisfaction and enjoyment in my job.
Marissa Derderian
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5114
mderderian@wpi.edu
Marissa Derderian
- Complex Coordinator
As a Complex Coordinator, I oversee several of the residence halls here on campus and supervise the para-professional Resident Advisors assigned those halls. Through programming, presence and policy enforcement, my student staff and I are able to create a living-learning environment conducive to the true WPI experience. Coming from a science background myself, I very much appreciate the student population and mission of WPI. When not in the office or supporting my staff in their community outreach efforts, I enjoy fishing, bowling, art projects and spending time at the beach.
Matthew Foster
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-4941
mfoster@wpi.edu
Matthew Foster
- Complex Coordinator
As a Complex Coordinator, I oversee several of the residence halls here on campus and supervise the para-professional Resident Advisors assigned to those halls. Through programming, presence, and policy enforcement, my student staff and I are able to create a living-learning environment conducive to the true WPI experience. My past few years of work in the field of higher education have sparked my passion for residential services and the entire out of classroom experiences that the residence halls have to offer our students. My experiences thus far at WPI have shown me how important these experiences are and how much they impact the overall development of our students.
Carol Contis
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5645
ccontis@wpi.edu
Carol Contis
- Administrative Assistant
Of course I enjoy our students, but I also enjoy all the people I meet who post ads on our Apartment Finder system. Since I handle the off-campus housing, I get to meet the local landlords, many of whom come in year after year. Outside of work, being the grandmother of five keeps me busy. During the summer months my grandchildren stay at my home at Cape Cod and we all go to the beach together. When time permits, I enjoy taking watercolor classes at the Falmouth Artist Guild— the Cape offers many beautiful scenic spots to paint.
Nancy Kozlowski
Contact Information
East Hall
Phone: +1-508-831-5645
nkozlows@wpi.edu
Nancy Kozlowski
- Administrative Assistant
I have worked in the office of Residential Services for fourteen years. I've stayed so long because I love working with the students. Since the Resident Advisor mailbox is in my office, there are always students dropping by and we get to know them very well. Even after they graduate some of them correspond with us on Facebook. I have two girls of my own and one of my daughters graduated from WPI, so when a parent calls with questions about the school or problems they might encounter, I can share my own experiences with them. My hobbies are visiting the ocean, spending time with my grandchildren, and spending time at my home in Florida, where two of my grandchildren live.
