Melissa happily joined the Columbia Barnard Hillel team in 2021 as the Director of The Grad Network. She describes her professional path as a series of unexpected U-turns, moving between Jewish communal work and museum education. After a few years working in contemporary art museums, Melissa is thrilled to be working in the Jewish community again. In 2013, she began her career with Hillel as the Engagement Associate at the University of Florida and then moved to Charlottesville to work as the Director of Jewish Engagement for the Brody Jewish Center Hillel at the University of Virginia. In 2016, she received the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award for her contributions to Jewish life at UVA. Melissa is driven by a strong commitment to experiential education, community development, and relationship building. She strives to foster a Jewish community that honors tradition and supports innovation. In 2023, Melissa completed the Seven Steps Mikveh Guide training through Rising Tide, an egalitarian mikveh movement.
In her role as Director of The Grad Network, Melissa is most excited to build community among graduate students, while also helping each student access Jewish experiences that are personally meaningful. Reach out to Melissa to talk about accessible ritual, hiking recommendations, your favorite book, vegetarian recipes, contemporary art, and, of course, The Grad Network.
