she/her/hers – Associate Director of Prevention
Melissa leads the Prevention team in their efforts to prevent sexual violence, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, and stalking at UC Berkeley before it occurs. Melissa has been passionate about and committed to preventing sexual and intimate partner violence as well as eliminating oppression in institutions of higher education, community organizations, and state agencies for over 18 years. She has promoted gender equity, racial equity, and education equity through teaching, research, evaluation, and community work. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, Melissa has worked to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence at the statewide level through strategic planning, program planning, and collaborative leadership at state agencies including the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and Minnesota Department of Health. She earned her Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Cultural Perspectives and Comparative Education and her MA in Education with an emphasis in Research Methodology, both from UC Santa Barbara, and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minors in Ethnic Studies and Education from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!)