Meet the Team

Eileen oversees the public relations and strategic communications initiatives at WPI.  An award-winning professional with more than 25 years of experience, Eileen has spent more than a decade connecting the world with WPI’s outstanding research and project-based learning initiatives. Her team of experts focus on story development, media relations, research communications, internal communications, issues and crisis management, as well as government communications.

In her role as Operations Manager, Peg is the hub of Marketing Communications. As a general point person for the division, she is a source of information for email and in-person inquiries and helps route any requests to the right team members if needed. Peg provides financial management support, assists the division with Talent & Inclusion functions, develops and implements administrative policies and procedures, and manages office collaboration spaces, equipment, and supplies.

Alison is responsible for WPI’s strategic communications initiatives, including research and internal communications as well as issues and crisis management. She partners with colleagues across the university to ensure the stories of WPI—the innovations in research, education, and global problem solving, and the people behind them—reach the broadest and most interested audiences possible. Alison has more than 30 years of experience in public relations and communications within the higher education, healthcare, and science sectors.

Jon helps WPI share information and stories, so the global community knows about the university’s purpose-driven education and research, leadership in project-based learning, and commitment to turning knowledge into action to confront world challenges. He does outreach to the media, assists reporters with requests to interview WPI faculty, staff, and students, and coordinates with members of the campus community on ways to share their stories. He also writes posts about WPI for the university’s website.Jon has more than 20 years of experience in radio and television journalism. Before joining ...

Ashley's current position at WPI supports various projects of the Marketing Communications division. This work includes content strategy, development, and management of the University website, writing and editing (including work for the University magazine such as class notes, as well as various newsletters), email campaign support, managing Merit Pages, research, and coordinating with campus partners. Ashley comes from a communication and writing background. She majored in English with a concentration in Writing and Mass Communications at Assumption College (now University) where she ...

Lisa Eckelbecker writes about research at WPI for the university’s publications. Before joining the WPI staff in 2019, she was an award-winning business journalist who wrote about biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, manufacturing, finance, the environment, and health care. She has a BS in journalism from Northwestern University and an MS in journalism from Columbia University.

As WPI’s Internal Communications Manager, Diana Fiorentino focuses on how communication within WPI can impact the student and employee experience and works to provide community members with the information they need to know in a timely and effective manner. She collaborates with WPI community partners in developing strategies that increase engagement, bring members of the campus community closer to the university brand, and improve WPI’s culture. Her passion for creating connections and storytelling drive her towards developing innovative approaches to reaching, interacting, and collaborating ...

Steven is a public relations manager who shares stories and achievements that highlight WPI's leading-edge research and project-based, student-centered mission. He does media outreach and helps arrange media interviews with WPI faculty and administration, writes stories about faculty, staff, and students, and produces multimedia content. He was previously a reporter for 23 years at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. He received a bachelor’s degree in public relations and journalism from Utica College of Syracuse University. 

Peggy is responsible for the final proofreading and editing of virtually everything the office produces—high-level communications, WPI Journal, books, brochures, web pages, flyers, and more. She works with campus partners to ensure grammatical accuracy and a consistent voice, tone, and style.

Mia loves to hear, read, and tell good stories. At WPI, she talks to faculty, staff, and students and then writes stories about the research, projects, and events they are working on so that others can learn from and appreciate the university’s diverse voices.

Kris is editor of WPI's quarterly magazine, the WPI Journal. She manages all aspects of magazine production, including constructing strategic story budgets, writing features, editing copy from internal and freelance writers, and working with photographers, illustrators, and designers to bring stories to life in both printed and digital form. Kris brings more than 25 years of higher education communications experience to the role.

Julia is responsible for elevating the purpose and performance of content across WPI’s many platforms. With a particular focus on driving revenue and elevating brand awareness, she helps guide campus partners to develop and implement optimal and sustainable digital content strategies.

Colleen serves as the associate director of public relations with a focus on government communications. She works with variety of stakeholders to best tell the stories of the university’s research, student projects and impact on the community. Prior to WPI, Colleen was an award-winning television news reporter and anchor. She also worked at Worcester City Hall as a communications specialist. 

As a visual designer, Melissa develops creative concepts and provides design services for several campus partners. These materials include print and online content, invitations, brochures, posters, and mailings as well as social posts, email newsletters, and PowerPoint presentations.

Jacleen is an expert in multimedia production and creative marketing strategy with over 17 years of combined experience at WPI. She leads the multimedia team and collaborates closely with departments across the organization to develop concepts, produce content, and drive engagement. She manages various technologies such as Canto, Appspace, YouTube, Vimeo, and Frame.io. She ensures seamless multimedia asset management, organization, and distribution across all WPI platforms and channels, including social media, print, online, events, and digital screens. Her team's work encompasses supporting ...

Matthew is a collaborative visual artist who creates and implements the photographic style for university platforms and deliverables. He produces visual content in various styles, including journalistic, documentary, creative, and professional headshots. You can see his work across WPI’s social media channels, digital screens, the WPI website, on printed promotional pieces, and beyond! Outside of WPI he is a working artist in various drawing mediums. inkblotsandsnapshots.comInstagram – inkblotsandsnapshots

Jillian works with a vast array of campus partners to develop, implement, and measure high-impact marketing programs, with particular emphasis on advancing peer reputation, research, and graduate recruitment goals for the university.

Stacey acts as a bridge between the university and its students, crafting compelling messages across various media channels. She develops and executes social media strategies, creates engaging content for digital signage and the mobile app, and manages targeted email campaigns – all designed to attract prospective students and keep current students informed about the vibrant campus experience.

As the Manager of Video Production at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), I oversee and develop all content creation through all phases of media production, using state-of-the-art hardware and software. I also manage and work along side a team of talented student/contract videographers, editors, and animators who produce engaging and impactful videos for the institute's branding, marketing, and educational purposes. I bring over a decade of professional video production experience, I have honed my skills in digital content, social networking, and post-production, and have earned a Part 107 ...

Shawn supports domestic and international graduate recruitment at WPI through the development of key messaging, digital marketing campaigns, and website content. As the university advances its transformative STEM education, he also collaborates with his colleagues and campus partners to launch new graduate programs and initiatives. Additionally, Shawn is one of the marketing partners for The Business School at WPI. Prior to joining WPI, he was a senior strategist for a Philadelphia-based marketing and PR agency where he worked with a variety of technology and science clients.

Brian collaborates directly with the creative team, marketing communications colleagues, and campus partners on diverse projects. He uses his creative and technical skills to help design, coordinate solutions, and process across an array of experiences and platforms—including university-level print collateral, email marketing, and WPI Journal.

Diane works with an array of campus clients as a strategic partner in developing, implementing, and measuring high-impact marketing programs—with particular emphasis on advancing peer reputation, WPI’s distinctive project-based learning curriculum, global initiatives, and the undergraduate experience and retention goals for the university.

Sarah creates concepts, digital experiences, and design solutions to support and drive communication, stories, and goals across campus initiatives. With a diverse background of experience in agency and industry, her role as senior digital designer uses skills across visual design, art direction, illustration, user interaction, and user experience to thoughtfully approach and create a variety of experiences.

Lynn’s role as Associate Director of Marketing and Creative Strategy uses her graphic design and project management skills to implement integrated marketing communications for campus partners.

Rachel produces a variety of content across print, digital, and multimedia platforms in support of the university's reputation and recruitment goals. With an emphasis on graduate recruitment, she collaborates with marketing program leads, campus partners, and her fellow creative team members to develop strategic marketing initiatives that engage prospective students. Before WPI, Rachel worked in digital marketing and digital publishing, where she honed her content optimization and editorial skills. 

As the Executive Director of Marketing Operations, Damien leads the Web Team, CMS Help Desk, and Digital Operations teams. His responsibilities include managing digital marketing tools and technologies to enhance user experiences and streamline workflows. Damien strategically oversees these areas to ensure efficient operations and align marketing efforts with the organization’s broader objectives, driving engagement and technological innovation within the marketing communications division.

Valon is a front-end developer with a passion for crafting intuitive user interfaces. His dedication to staying updated with the latest web technologies ensures our team delivers cutting-edge and user-friendly digital experiences. He also assists the Sr. Web Developer in the maintenance and development of the website, and integration of new features. 

As a web developer, Besart works on the public facing website of WPI. He is responsible for the maintenance and development of the website, as well as the integration of new features and technologies. He collaborates with other departments to support the WPI community.

As a Digital Marketing Specialist, Adam contributes to digital marketing initiatives for Graduate Admissions, focusing on managing and optimizing digital ad campaigns. Additionally, he provides analytical support to campus partners, assisting with website traffic analysis and evaluating digital ad performance.

Mariah oversees our integral web systems such as Drupal, Wordpress, the WPI mobile app, the interactive campus map, and more. She develops and maintains resources for these web systems to enhance web marketing efforts across the WPI community, such as the CMS Helpdesk and our Web Team YouTube Channel. 

As a Marketing Data Analyst, Siyan is responsible for organizing, visualizing, and analyzing branding, marketing performance, and website traffic related data. She collaborates with campus partners to gain deeper insights into marketing and brand performance, while also assisting in the development of marketing strategies through data analysis work.

As the Director of Digital Marketing and Marketing performance, Orion leads a dynamic team that plans, executes, and optimizes the performance of all digital marketing campaigns and lead generation. The digital operations team manages all aspects of digital advertising, tracking, analytics, and reporting, and collaborates across departments and teams to support and enhance our go-to-market strategy and drive continuous improvement in campaign effectiveness and budget optimization. Orion is also responsible for conducting marketing research like brand awareness, earned media monitoring, social ...