Summer 2021
The membership of the Coronavirus Emergency Response Team (CERT) changed from time to time as the team evolved through several phases reflecting the changing needs of the university. Listed below are the core members (those who have been CERT members all along), those who have joined the team during various phases of the response, and the members of WPI’s senior leadership team, who have been actively engaged with CERT throughout.
Ronald Bashista, Emergency Preparedness Director
Eric Beattie, Vice President for Campus Planning
Philip Clay, Vice President for Student Affairs1
Kristan Coffey, Director of Talent and Human Resources
Alison Duffy, Director of Strategic Communications
Amy Fabiano, Associate General Counsel
Chloe Green, COVID Testing Coordinator
Jessica Grimes, Director of Content Strategy
Jennifer Hapgood-White, Isolation/Quarantine Coordinator
Rachel LeBlanc, Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
Cheryl Martunas, Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police
Eileen Brangan Mell, Assistant Vice President for Public Relations
Anne Ogilvie, Director for Team Learning
Patty Patria, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Lisa Pearlman, Director of Health Services
Emily Perlow, Associate Dean of Students
Daniel Sarachick, Director of Environmental Health and Safety
Jeffrey Solomon, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer1,2
Casey Wall, Assistant Dean and Director of Residential Services
Colleen Bamford Wamback, Director of Public Relations
Andrew Baron, Associate Director of Public Relations2
Cathy Battelle, Associate Registrar
William Battelle, Events Director
Kristen Billiar, Professor and Head, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Emily Burke, Contact Tracing Coordinator2
Mary Calarese, Associate Vice President of Finance
Colleen Callahan-Panday, Director of International Student Life
April Childs, Registered Nurse and Clinical Coordinator
Meredith Clancy, Organizational Effectiveness and Talent Development Specialist2
Laurie Colella, Director of Procurement Services
Gary Collins, Associate Director of Global Risk Management2
Christina DeVries, Executive Director of Advancement Services
Lisa Eckelbecker, Research Communicator
Adam Epstein, Director of Undergraduate Enrollment Systems and Operations
Gina Ferraro, Senior Executive Administrator, Talent and Inclusion
Gregory Fischer, Professor of Robotics Engineering
Rory Flinn, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies
Matthew Foster, Associate Director of Residential Education
Sharon Gaudin, Science Writer2
Sheila Georger, Executive Director of Marketing Communications
Anna Gold, University Librarian
Stacey Happy, Digital Media Associate
Patrick Hitchcock, Controller
Michelle Jones-Johnson, Vice President for Talent Development and Chief Diversity Officer2
Joe Kraskouskas, Director of Dining Services
Amy Beth Laythe, Senior Associate Director of Residential Operations
Julie Loveless, Associate Director of Admissions
Stephen Marsh, Associate Director of Public Safety
William McAvoy, Vice President for University Advancement2
Sarah Miles, University Registrar
Alicia Mills, Vice President for Talent and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer ad interim
Charles Morse, Associate Dean and Director of Counseling
Ron O’Brien, Director of Facilities
Diane O’Keefe, Director of Marketing
Andrew Palumbo, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Jennifer Parissi-Forti, Events Planner
Julia Quinn-Szcesuil, Senior Writer and Project Manager
Allison Racicot, Writer and Project Manager
Reeta Rao, Professor and Head, Department of Biology and Biotechnology
Julie Richard, Assistant Director of the Global Experience Office
Regina Roberto, Director of Health Services2
Christine Sharry, Assistant Dean of Students Activities
Greg Snoddy, Dean of Students
Susan Sontgerath, Director of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs2
William Spratt, Director of Facilities Operations2
Donna Stock, Vice President of University Advancement
Kristopher Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Mark Taricco, Executive Director of IT Infrastructure and Operations
Melissa Terrio, Executive Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
Matthew Thaler, Deputy General Counsel
Suzanne Weekes, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies2
David Bunis, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Terri Camesano, Dean of Graduate Studies
Maureen Deiana, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Dana Harmon, Director of Physical Education and Athletics
Arthur Heinricher, Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Laurie Leshin, President
John McNeill, Dean of Engineering
Amy Morton, Vice President and Chief of Staff
Kent Rissmiller, Dean ad interim, The Global School (through July 2021)
Wole Soboyejo, Provost
Bogdan Vernescu, Associate Provost for Research
1 also a member of the Senior Leadership
2 has since retired or left the university
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, WPI was prepared to mount a comprehensive response much earlier than many of its peers. Early on it had formed the Coronavirus Emergency Response Team, which skillfully guided the university through its most challenging year and a half, always guided by WPI’s North Star: putting the health and safety of the community first.
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