Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has appointed Raul Fonts as vice president for enrollment management, a strategic, data-driven leader with a record of innovation, collaboration, and success in building strong student pipelines. Fonts will join WPI July 1, 2026.
In this role, Fonts will oversee undergraduate admissions, financial aid, enrollment strategy, and pre-collegiate outreach programs helping to advance WPI’s mission as a global leader in project-based, experiential STEM education.
Fonts joins WPI following more than 25 years at Providence College, where he assumed roles of increasing scope and responsibility, most recently serving as senior associate vice president for enrollment management and chief enrollment officer. He led a team of 36 professionals across admissions and financial aid and achieved record enrollment outcomes, including a 20% increase in applications and enrollments over five years while maintaining the academic quality of admitted students.
“As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, institutions must rethink how they engage and support prospective students,” said Fonts. “Today’s students are looking for more than information—they want authentic connection, clear value, and a strong sense of community from their very first interaction. That’s what makes this opportunity at WPI so exciting, and I look forward to building on the university’s distinctive, project-based approach to create meaningful connections with students from the start.”
“Enrollment strategy is central to WPI’s continued momentum as a leading institution across engineering, arts and sciences, business, and technology that educates tomorrow’s leaders,” said Andrew Sears, senior vice president of academic affairs and provost. “Raul brings a thoughtful, analytical approach and a strong track record of aligning enrollment with academic priorities and institutional goals that will strengthen our ability to attract students eager to engage in WPI’s distinctive, project-based education.”
Throughout his career, Fonts has emphasized the use of analytics and technology to inform enrollment decisions to better understand and support prospective students. He has also led major strategic initiatives, including the successful launch of recruitment and enrollment for a new School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Providence College.
At WPI, Fonts will partner closely with academic leadership, marketing and communications, student affairs, and advancement to align enrollment strategy with the university’s strategic priorities, including its designation as an R1 research institution and continued emphasis on global engagement and experiential learning.
“WPI offers students a truly distinctive, immersive education that prepares them to be thoughtful leaders across a wide range of disciplines,” Fonts said. “I am excited to collaborate with colleagues across the university to attract and support students who are ready to tackle complex, real-world challenges and make a meaningful impact.”
Fonts will succeed Philip Clay, who is currently serving as senior vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. Clay is retiring at the end of this academic year after more than 33 years at WPI.
