Dr. Melissa Taylor has worked in the College of Natural Sciences since April 2009 and currently serves as Sr. Assistant Dean for Strategy and Equity Initiatives.  Her responsibilities include the coordination of strategic planning across the college and facilitation of change & innovation initiatives under the leadership of the Dean. Melissa has extensive experience in higher education leadership, academic planning, faculty professional development, and student program management.  Melissa is particularly passionate about issues of equity, access, and inclusion as they pertain to systemic racism in American public education and the role of higher education in social mobility.

Melissa holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin.