NATCHITOCHES – Kelsey Claspill, a data analyst in the Office of Institutional Research at Northwestern State University, has been selected as one of two Data Analyst Fellows by the University of Louisiana System, along with Blake Robért of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
As part of this fellowship, Claspill and Robért will lead system-level tasks including data and visualization, data warehousing design and train the trainer sessions for selected topics, in addition to their regular duties. These projects will benefit the UL System as well as individual member institutions.
These Institutional Research professionals were selected for consistently producing accurate, timely work, generously sharing their expertise with other IR professionals and exhibiting a passion for collaboration, innovation and continuous learning in the IR discipline.
Claspill earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems at NSU in 2017 and is pursuing a master’s in CIS at NSU. She has worked for NSU’s Institutional Research department since Fall 2017 as an IR Data Analyst. She also served from 2021-2023 as secretary for the Louisiana Association for Institutional Research.
Dr. Claire Norris, vice president for Advancement at ULS, will coordinate with IR directors from member institutions to set priorities and guide the work of the Fellows.
“We have an opportunity to elevate our systemic work. In doing so, we aim not only to retain our analysts’ talent but to inspire and empower them by offering them high-impact projects and exposing them to the overarching vision of our system. We could not be more excited to work with Kelsey Claspill and Blake Robért,” Norris said.
Institutional Research departments are an important part of higher education for their role in collecting data that reveal enrollment trends, course success rates and other information to improve offerings and student success rates.
NSU’s Office of Institutional Research (OIR) enhances the University’s effectiveness, providing timely, accurate information that supports research, planning, policy formation and decision-making. The OIR supports critical academic initiatives such as program review, institutional assessment, student outcomes assessment, accreditation reporting, and grant writing.
The OIR assists in advancing and fulfilling NSU’s mission by providing institutional accountability data and mandated state and federal reports to its constituents and communities.
For more information about Institutional Research at NSU, visit www.nsula.edu/oir .
