UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has announced the appointment of Carly Sunseri as the new assistant vice provost for Institutional Research in the Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research (OPAIR), effective immediately.
Sunseri brings over a decade of experience in data science, analytics, and institutional research — most recently serving as senior director of Data Science and Analytics within OPAIR. In this role, she has led strategic initiatives to develop executive dashboards, build predictive models, and communicate data-driven insights that support the University’s long-term planning and decision-making.
Her deep understanding of Penn State’s data landscape, combined with her proven ability to translate complex analytics into meaningful institutional strategy, makes her the ideal leader for this role, said Lance Kennedy-Phillips, vice provost for Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research.
“Carly is the right leader at the right time,” Kennedy-Phillips said. “She brings a unique combination of technical acumen, collaborative leadership and institutional knowledge that will help elevate Penn State’s data-informed culture and ensure our analytics efforts continue to serve the mission of the University.”
In her new role, Sunseri will oversee the University’s institutional research functions, including the development of analyses, reports and models that support strategic initiatives across Penn State’s academic, administrative and operational domains. She will work closely with senior leaders, faculty and staff to ensure that data is accessible, actionable and aligned with institutional priorities.
“I’m honored to step into this role and continue working with such a dedicated and talented team,” said Sunseri. “I’m passionate about using data to drive meaningful change, and I look forward to deepening our partnerships across the University to support informed decision-making that benefits students, faculty and staff.”
Sunseri holds a master of professional studies in data analytics from Penn State and bachelor of science in information technology from Juniata College.
For more information about the Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research, visit opair.psu.edu.