Melanie is a second-year graduate student in the history department and works as a graduate teaching assistant. Melanie completed her undergraduate work at Colorado State University and graduated with a B.A. in History with a concentration in Social Studies Teaching.

Melanie's research focuses on African American history with a focus on lynching in the South and West. At CSU, Melanie works with Dr. Jessica Jackson and other graduate students on the History Matters Project where she helps create research-based, culturally responsive, hyperlocal, place-based history curriculum for local p-12 classrooms.

Melanie hopes to pursue a career in secondary history education.