Bio:
Throughout her extensive travels overseas as an ESL teacher, Melissa was always fascinated by the ways that people adapt to different cultures, often overcoming great obstacles to communicate with and learn about one another. Her time as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, Africa (2011-2013), especially, cultivated strong interests in intercultural communication and critical pedagogy. By the time she returned stateside, she had decided to apply to graduate schools and pursue a career in the field of communication.
Melissa studied intercultural and ecocultural communication at the University of New Mexico, where she earned her MA degree. During her PhD program at the University of Utah, she specialized in scientific and environmental nonprofit rhetoric. She has also spent time teaching and researching in the University of California Santa Barbara’s Humanities and Social Change Center, focusing on ecocultural communication.
As an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Communication at Drexel, Melissa teaches courses that relate to environmental communication, nonprofit communication, and science writing.