Bio

Merchant joins Worcester State in the Spring of 2026 after 12 years at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she served most recently as Assistant Director of Facilities & Recreation. In that role, she oversaw all daily operations of the Sports & Recreation Center, including programming, maintenance, scheduling, and staffing. She managed a team of more than 100 student personnel, seven part-time professionals, and one full-time Recreation Coordinator, while also coordinating training, risk management, budgeting, and equipment inventory. A respected presence across the WPI campus, Merchant contributed to numerous institution-wide committees throughout her tenure.

Merchant has been an active member of the National Intramural Recreation Sports Association (NIRSA) throughout her career, serving as Massachusetts State Director from 2017 to 2019. She has contributed to numerous host committees, including the 2014 Massachusetts State Workshop, the 2019 NIRSA Annual Conference, and the 2019 Region 1 Conference. She currently serves on the National NIRSA Nominations and Appointments Committee.

A dedicated scholar, Merchant earned her Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University in 2024 while she previously earned a Master's Degree in Education in Exercise Science from Springfield College in 2011 and a Bachelor's Degree in Sport and Leisure Management from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2008. She also served as Adjunct Faculty at Becker College, teaching courses in Sport Management.

Outside of her professional life, Merchant is an accomplished distance runner and community philanthropist. She completed the 2018 Boston Marathon on behalf of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the 2019 Chicago Marathon in support of the American Heart Association.

Merchant is a certified Recreation, Campus Recreation and Sport Professional (RCRSP) through NIRSA and holds current CPR/First Aid certification through the American Red Cross.