Meet the Team

We are a group of professors and administrators. Our goal is to support PELL eligible computer science students reach their goals. We hope to use the knowledge we gain from this program to expand programming support to the computer science field as a whole.

 

Principal Investigator (PI) - Rodica Neamtu 

Co Principal Investigator (Co-PI) - Crystal Brown and Debra Boucher 

Senior Personnel - Matthew Ahrens, Francesca Bernardi, Lane Harrison, Keenan Kidwell, Erin Solovey

Administrative Assistant -  Nicole Asbridge 

Past Personnel - Kathy Chen (AY 2024-2025), Tj Noviello (AY 2024-2025), Carly Thorp (AY 2024-2025)

 

 

 

 

 

CONTACT
Location: Boynton Hall
Office Location: 1st floor
Phone: 508-831-5222
Fax: 508-831-5774
Rodica Neamtu
Professor of Teaching, Computer Science

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x6208

I am a data mining researcher who investigates how to develop and leverage ground-breaking techniques to explore time series datasets at the confluence of theoretical computer science and application domains like medicine, neuroscience, economics, transportation, and complex decision making. With more than fifteen years of teaching experience in various academic institutions, I am committed to using my love and talent for teaching and research to empower others through education to make a difference in the world...

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Crystal Brown
Assistant Professor & Program Director, Technology, Policy, and Sustainability, Social Science & Policy Studies

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x5163

Dr. Crystal Brown earned her Ph.D. in Political Science with a focus in comparative politics, international relations, and public policy. She also has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Pennsylvania State University and a certificate in Data Analytics from Harvard University. ...

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Debra Boucher
Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Studies, Undergraduate Studies

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x6828

Debra Boucher is Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Prior to coming to WPI, her work positioned her work at the intersection of enrollment management, student success, and academic affairs. At WPI Debra oversees the summer session offerings and works to leverage summer activities to support strategic initiatives. ...

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Matthew Ahrens
Assistant Teaching Professor, Computer Science

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x6390

Matthew studied Programming Language Design and CS Education for his PhD work at Tufts University (August 2022).

His focus was on the design and implementation of CS course curricula to support self-efficacy and self regulated learning by providing learning environments and tools to explore the computational thinking needed to make software that resembles the technology learners use on a regular basis. ...

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Francesca Bernardi
Francesca Bernardi  (She/her/hers)
Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x4183

I am an applied mathematician working in the fields of small-scale fluid mechanics and microfluidics. My research includes both mathematical modeling and physical experiments. In particular, I am interested in particle and solute transport in small-scale systems, such as municipal water filtration facilities. I am the PI of the FMNTS Lab - Small-scale Fluid Mechanics and Transport Lab hosted at LEAP...

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Lane Harrison
Associate Professor, Computer Science

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x5952

Information visualization is a powerful means for understanding data and informing human minds. As people begin to rely on visualizations to make high-impact and even life-critical decisions, there is a growing need to ensure that information can be perceived accurately and precisely. ...

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Kathy Chen
Kathy Chen  (she/her)
Exec Director, STEM Education, STEM Education Center

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x6221

Kathy Chen joined The STEM Education Center at WPI after 15+ years as a professor in Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University, San Luis Obispo where she served as Department Chair and lead many K-12 and community STEM outreach activities. In her current role to support PreK-12 STEM educators, she works to broaden the participation of students in STEM (especially those from underrepresented and excluded groups) by advancing equity in education through holistic and innovative approaches. She also currently leads the Central MA STEM Network. ...

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Carly Thorp
Professor of Practice, Mathematical Sciences

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x6165

With teachers for parents, I have always respected those who teach and the importance of education. While I did not originally set out to have a career in education, I found myself coming to WPI to do precisely that, after spending a decade in the corporate world as a statistician. During my time as a statistician, I taught engineers, particularly those in industrial, biomedical, and electrical engineering, how to apply statistics effectively to their work from designing a new medical device to sustaining commercialized medical devices. ...

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