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Welcome to my portfolio. Take a look at my skills, professional experiences, and projects to give you an idea of what contributions I might make to your project or your organization.
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Melinda
I'm an educator, program builder, and cross-cultural connector with nearly 30 years in international education and exchange. I hold a PhD in Global and Multicultural Education, am Mars Venus Coaching certified, and have served as Assistant Director of the Middle East Studies Center at The Ohio State University since 2003.
My work includes:
- Gender Intelligence coaching and workshops — strengthening communication and relational effectiveness for individuals, teams, and organizations
- Program design and facilitation — immersive learning experiences for the public, military, educators, and youth
- Intercultural curriculum development — connecting visible culture to the values and practices shaping everyday life
- Grant development — nine funded proposals totaling $4,012,601 for education, curriculum, research, and public engagement
- Arts and foodways as cultural bridges — including Middle Eastern theatre productions and food-based cultural education
- Writing and editing — research, commentary, and educational texts across disciplines
Ph.D. May, 2019
Doctor of Philosophy in Multicultural and Equity Studies in Education (formerly, Social Studies and Global Education), from the Education Teaching and Learning Department, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
M.A. December, 2004
Master of Arts in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (now Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures), Arabic concentration, College of Arts and Sciences, Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
B.A. June, 1997
Bachelor of Arts, Visual and Communication Arts with honors, Franklin University, Switzerland ****(Lugano, Switzerland)
Middle East Studies Center
July 2003 - Present | Ohio State University
I have been the Assistant Director of the Middle East Studies Center (MESC) at the Ohio State University (OSU) since 2003, responsible for fiscal and strategic management of center operations with an annual budget of up to $500,000 in grants and donations. I facilitate the Center’s training programs, supervise staff and student interns, and oversee its community building. My strengths are in curriculum and pedagogy for raising cultural awareness, invigorating the liberal arts core of the curriculum, and connecting classroom learning to life and workplace skills. I have been teaching at the university level since 2000, including graduate level courses for classroom teachers. I regularly present in classrooms at every level as a guest speaker.
September 2020 - Present
I host two podcasts, Keys to Understanding the Middle East and We’re Nearly There. Keys to Understanding the Middle East is a production of the Middle East Studies Center at Ohio State University that I do as a part of my job as Assistant Director of the Center. We’re Nearly There is my own project to delve into the mindsets and skills we need to build the future we want.
Web 3.0 Accelerator
May 2023 - Dec. 2023 | Archipelago Rising and Milan Global
I serve as Dean and one of the primary faculty members for the Web 3.0 Accelerator, a program for young people to learn coding skills, product mindset, and winning communication skills. The Accelerator is offered under the auspices of my LLC, Archipelago Rising with partner company Milan Global. See: https://www.thegrowthosphere.com/web3