Hello!

Welcome to my portfolio. I am grateful you have come to take a look at my skills, achievements, and professional experiences. Hopefully, it will give you an idea of who I am, the types of projects I’m interested in, and what contributions I might make to your team or your organization. I am passionate about creating impactful learning experiences, curating content in a meaningful way, and building community.

Please feel free to browse through my work samples, projects, and work experience. I hope that you will find something that resonates with you and that you will enjoy learning more about my journey.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for stopping by!

Best regards,

Melinda

Summary

Contact

🐦 twitter.com

linkedin.com/in/mm55/

Telegram

Please call me Melinda! I have been an educator in the field of international education and exchange for over 20 years. My interests are team-building, re-invigorating the liberal arts core of the Higher Education curriculum, and connecting classroom learning to life and workplace skills. My international and cross-cultural experiences are extensive and varied. I believe the most effective way to approach learning and collaboration is through community building and cultivating creativity. I collaborate with colleagues on research, publication, education, artistic and interdisciplinary projects. I have extensive writing and editing experience with a wide variety of academic and educational texts. I have q qI collaborate with colleagues and programs to build pathways across organizational silos and facilitate interdisciplinary conversations. These pathways create lasting impacts on students and we have reached thousands of people through educational programs and public engagement.

Education

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)


Experience

Assistant Director

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 teacher training programs, supervise staff and student interns, and oversee its programs. 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 courses for classroom teachers. I regularly present in classrooms at every level as a guest speaker.


Podcast Host

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. You can find my episodes on Youtube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) by following me.

Dean

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