Melissa Kansky

Melissa is thrilled to join the Columbia Barnard Hillel team as the Director of The Grad Network. Although originally from northern New Jersey, Melissa has lived up and down the east coast- with a short stint in the Midwest. Now back in the NY-area, she is stoked to be living closer to family, good bagels, and an abundance of art museums. With a strong commitment to experiential education, community development, and relationship building, Melissa’s professional experience has been divided between Jewish communal life and museum education. 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 2017 she received the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award for her contributions to Jewish life at UVA. Before returning to Hillel, Melissa earned an M.A. in museum education and worked as the Education Fellow for the Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa) Cleveland. In her new role as Director of The Grad Network, Melissa is most excited to build community among Jewish graduate students, while also connecting Columbia students to the opportunities and experiences available throughout New York. Reach out to Melissa to talk about hiking recommendations, your favorite book, vegetarian recipes, contemporary art, and, of course, The Grad Network.