Melissa Hardin
Melissa Hardin joined the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in July 2021 and was named Lead Vice President in January 2023. In this role, she supports and facilitates the work of the Institutional Field Relations unit and serves as a liaison to member institutions, provides training to institutions and volunteers, and supports the accreditation decision-making work of the Commission. Melissa came to MSCHE from CAPA The Global Education Network where she oversaw all aspects of CAPA's academic affairs, working closely with its faculty and institution partners to manage and further develop the quality of CAPA's academic offerings. She has more than two decades of experience as an international education professional, including as the Assistant Dean for International Studies at Ursinus College where she oversaw all aspects of study abroad advising and managed relationships with program partners. She also brings extensive experience in teaching Spanish language and literature as well as in curriculum development, implementation and assessment. Formerly a member of the Academic Advisory Board for CAPA (serving as chair from 2012 to 2019), she has participated in or chaired five-year reviews of CAPA programs in Florence, London and Sydney. She was also a certified QUIP Peer Reviewer for the Forum on Education Abroad for which she has conducted external reviews of study abroad programs and offices in the U.S, Europe, and Latin America. She frequently presents at conferences and engages with peers in regional, national and international professional associations. Melissa holds a B.A. in Spanish from University of Missouri-Columbia (MO), an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College (VT), and a Ph.D. in Spanish Languages and Literature from Washington University in St. Louis. She received a Fulbright Scholars Program grant for the International Education Administrators Seminar in Japan in 2013, and in 2017 the Pennsylvania Council for International Education (PACIE) bestowed upon her the David A. Portlock Outstanding International Educator Award.