Profile

Melissa has more than 10 years' experience leading teams to deliver measurable results on an array of marketing, public relations, and public affairs campaigns. Much of her work has involved telling compelling human interest stories to drive business goals or mobilize support for public interest issues.

Prior to joining the University of Oregon in 2017, Melissa served as the Director of Marketing and Communication at Duke University’s Office of Development. There she was responsible for developing and executing integrated marketing and communication plans to drive university fundraising goals, including a historic $3.25 billion campaign.

Melissa started her career working on the account side of public relations and marketing agencies. She had the opportunity to manage campaigns for a range of clients including national healthcare nonprofits and global technology companies, as well as top-tier universities and foundations.

Melissa earned her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double major in psychology and journalism and mass communication (concentration in advertising).