Meet the Team

Nicholas Blank

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x5457

Nick joined WPI’s Undergraduate Studies team in the fall of 2022. A graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, he brings extensive experience as a business analyst and data manager for higher education and public schools. With a thorough understanding of the needs of students, instructors and administrators, Nick’s expertise lies in connecting constituents with their academic data for the most efficient and effective educational experience. He is excited to put his skills to use in support of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute community by creating practical analysis dashboards and ...

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Thomas James
Academic Affairs Support Specialist, Office of Strategic Initiatives and University Analytics

Phone: +1 (508) 8315000 x5986

Thomas provides operational and systems support for Academic Affairs while contributing to applied research, market analysis, and assessment implementation within specific academic units. He assists with Workday reporting and audits on faculty data, supports operational initiatives with automation tools, and assists in maintaining data dashboards in Power BI.

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A member of the office of strategic initiatives and university analytics since its formation in 2021, Melissa is responsible for the institutional research functions within the office, including ensuring the integrity and responsible use of institutional data and serving as liaison for key data collections and compliance. Having worked at WPI for over 25 years, Melissa has spent most of her time in analytics roles within admissions, enrollment and institutional research and brings a depth of institutional knowledge to the team. She holds two degrees from WPI – a BS in Biotechnology and an MS ...

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Dan Richard

Dan is responsible for developing analytic solutions in support of university goals using best practices with visualization tools such as Power BI.  Working with the team to ensure high levels of accuracy and precision in data reporting and data integrity, Dan designs and develops dashboards and reports to help internal and/or external customers access and analyze data.  He joined WPI in 2014 and spent more than six years in the Registrar’s Office before joining this team.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Human Resources both from ...

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Monelle Verdolino
Director, Data Visualization & Analytics, Office of Strategic Initiatives and University Analytics

Monelle is responsible for engineering datasets and developing visualizations that highlight key trends, patterns, and emerging opportunities to inform institutional insights. She also leads visualization strategy, ensuring consistency, usability, and impact across reporting.

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