IRP Staff

Samantha James serves as the Director of Institutional Research and Data Portfolio Management in the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP). In this role, she oversees strategic research and data projects, collaborates with leadership to ensure the success of initiatives, and provides analytical and management support. Her responsibilities also include portfolio management, technical oversight, generating detailed data reports, and managing the financial aspects of IRP operations.

Samantha has been dedicated to higher education since 2005, specializing in both academic and research unit operations. Throughout her career, she has held various roles in Sponsored Post Award Administration, Accounting, Administrative Support, and Student Human Resources. In these positions, she has developed expertise in training, advocating, and analyzing procedures to enhance productivity and efficiency.

An active contributor to the field of Institutional Research, Samantha volunteers on professional committees, delivers presentations at conferences, and serves as a resource to colleagues nationwide. She holds a BSB in Finance, an MBA, and a PMP Certification. According to Gallup–CliftonStrengths, her greatest qualities are being analytical, consistent, disciplined, an achiever, and a relater, finding deep satisfaction in working hard with colleagues to achieve goals.

In her free time, Samantha enjoys activities that promote health and physical fitness, encourage mental and spiritual well-being, and spending time with friends and family.

Meghan is a data scientist in Institutional Research and Planning at Georgia Tech. In this role, she works with multiple internal and external data sources to prepare data reports, analyses, and visualizations to support decision making at Georgia Tech.

Meghan has a BA (English) from the University of Georgia as well as an MA (English) and MS (Data Science and Analytics) from Clemson University. She came to Georgia Tech with a wide variety of work experiences in roles ranging from communications and public affairs to research development to data analytics at University of Texas at Austin, Clemson University, and Georgia Tech. These experiences have provided a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the transformative and communicative power of data analytics and visualization paired with language.

When she isn’t poring over spreadsheets, Meghan can be found spending time with her family, reading whatever she can get her hands on, running very, very slowly in local races or, on a certain weekend every year, sauntering down Peachtree Street dressed as a silver robot.

Samantha is a Business Analyst for the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at Georgia Tech. Her work includes reporting survey data and providing relevant data to support various projects and initiatives across campus. With a background in the gaming and nonprofit sectors, she has experience in market research, audience insights, and performance analytics. Her work in gaming deepened her understanding of user engagement, and digital trends, while her experience in the nonprofit sector strengthened her ability to analyze data for impact-driven initiatives and support educational outcomes.

Samantha graduated with a Bachelor's degree focusing on Public Health, where she developed strong research and analytical skills. Passionate about accessibility and innovation, she is dedicated to leveraging research to enhance user experiences and operational efficiency. She enjoys learning about the world around her, always seeking creative ways to approach challenges and improve processes.

In her free time, Samantha enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and watching her favorite shows.