Melanie Smith,  Ed.D. , is assistant director of international learning programs at Stetson University. Melanie works directly with faculty and students to enhance the study abroad experience for both parties. In her role for WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning and campus internationalization initiatives, she assists with virtual course inclusion, and international programs to ensure academic rigor is met and measured. Melanie has not only been in the international education field for almost a decade, she too was an exchange student in Leiden, Netherlands during her undergraduate program. Her passion for study abroad stems from her own experience and the need for equity in all higher education opportunities.

Melanie also coordinates the Peace Corps Prep program for Stetson University. The certificate program is a partnership to recognize students for completing the work identified as competencies needed for service in Peace Corps. While serving in the Peace Corps is encouraged through the prep program, the certificate is federally recognized certification does not require students to participate after graduation.

As part of her duties with WORLD, Melanie works with students through the Ambassadors program. She takes pride in assisting students with planning events, guiding the processes, and making connections across campus to develop events such as The International Festival and Lessons from Abroad. She encourages students to utilize their time as career building opportunities by highlighting job descriptions and helping students make connections to what they do as employees of Stetson, to what they will be doing as part of the workforce.

During her higher education career, Melanie has served as an adjunct professor for multiple college departments including Health Services, Arts and Sciences, Business, Honors, and Communications and Journalism. She intentionally interwove global learning objectives throughout each of these curricula to enhance student outcomes, adding international coursework to student portfolios. Melanie developed scaffolded assignments empowering students to understand how their work translated into real-world experience.

Melanie’s research interests include study abroad, experiential learning, program and course assessment, global learning pedagogy, diversity and inclusion, and student retention. Her passion for curriculum and equity can be seen in her co-authored publications as well as her dissertation. She earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Valdosta State University in Georgia, her MBA from Webster University in Bluffton, SC, and her BA in Media Communications from Webster University in St. Louis, MO.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS

Smith, M. & Sparks, J. (2023). “The Place Matters: A Case Study on How Short-Term Study Abroad Adds Measurable Change for Assessments in Preexisting Courses.” In Stevenson, A. & Abraham, K. The Half Yet to be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs

Investigating Study Abroad as a Retention Modality. Smith, M. ACTFL Conference, Boston, MA November 2022

Trammel, J., Smith, M., Sparks, J, & Omunga, P. (2022). “Using the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework to explore teaching and learning practices at an HBCU: An interdisciplinary approach.” In University System of Georgia publication, University Learning Communities Investigate Best Practices for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Smith, M. (2021). “An analysis of study abroad and its impact on graduation.” Retrieved from: vtext.valdosta.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10428/5184/smith-melanie_dissertations_2021.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Key pillars of creating a study abroad program. Smith, M. IDEAS Conference, Athens, GA March 2020