Roxanne Armbruster
Vice President for Talent and Chief Human Resources Officer
Email: rarmbruster@wpi.edu
Phone
Department :
Roxanne Armbruster serves as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), where she leads the university’s people strategy and partners with institutional leaders to enable a culture of excellence, innovation, engagement, and belonging.
With more than 25 years of experience spanning higher education, technology, professional services, retail, and military service, Roxanne has built a career helping organizations navigate growth, transformation, and cultural change while maintaining a steadfast commitment to people and mission. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in the belief that strong institutions are built through trust, transparency, accountability, and meaningful investment in the people who make their success possible.
Prior to joining WPI, Roxanne served as Chief of People and Organizational Effectiveness at Enterra Solutions, an artificial intelligence and advanced analytics company, where she led enterprise human resources, strategic operations, and organizational transformation initiatives.
Previously, Roxanne was Chief Human Resources Officer and Assistant Dean at Harvard Law School, where she led human resources strategy and operations for a complex academic community of faculty, staff, and student employees. As a member of the school’s senior leadership team, she advised the Dean on workforce strategy, labor relations, compensation, succession planning, and organizational change. During her tenure, she led significant modernization efforts while helping guide the institution through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before moving into executive leadership roles in higher education and technology, Roxanne built a broad foundation of experience across military service, retail, professional services, and corporate operations. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, she developed an enduring commitment to service, accountability, and teamwork that continues to shape her leadership approach. After her service, Roxanne held various HR roles at The TJX Companies before joining Ropes & Gray, LLP where she was the Director of Business Operations.
Throughout her career, Roxanne has been recognized for building high-performing teams, strengthening organizational culture, and developing modern, data-informed people practices that support both institutional goals and employee success. She is particularly passionate about creating environments where individuals can thrive, grow professionally, and contribute to a shared sense of purpose.
A long-time resident of the Worcester area, Roxanne is proud to contribute to an institution that is shaping the future of STEM education, innovation, and community engagement.
