AAAS STEM Program Director
Melissa E. Wynn, Ph.D. is a Program Director in the Center for STEMM Education and Workforce at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this role, she supports national initiatives designed to strengthen STEMM education, research capacity, institutional transformation, and workforce pathways, with a particular focus on postsecondary education, Minority Serving Institutions, and students from communities historically underserved in STEMM fields.
Dr. Wynn brings more than 20 years of experience leading complex programs across higher education, nonprofit, and national policy environments. Prior to joining AAAS, she served as a Program Officer with the Board on Higher Education and Workforce at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where she directed consensus studies, convened national experts, supported governance boards, and advanced evidence-based recommendations related to STEMM higher education, mentorship, faculty success, disability inclusion, and workforce development. Her work has included programs and projects supported by NSF, NIH, NOAA, HHS, ODNI, the Sloan Foundation, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
Her previous leadership roles include directing STEM continuing education and special projects at Fielding Graduate University, managing academic leadership and NSF-supported programs at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and leading federally funded STEMM and student pathway initiatives at Howard University. Across these roles, she has led grant-funded programs, developed curricula and professional development models, managed multi-partner collaborations, organized national convenings, and supported student and faculty pathways in STEMM. Her work has consistently centered equity, mentorship, institutional capacity-building, and the development of inclusive learning and workforce ecosystems.
Dr. Wynn earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, an M.S. in Personality Psychology from Howard University, and a B.S. in Biology from Spelman College.