Melissa Hardin Elevated to MSCHE Lead Vice President

Dr. Melissa Hardin was elevated to Lead Vice President for Accreditation Relations of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in January 2023. Dr. Hardin joined the staff as a Vice President for Institutional Field Relations in 2021. As Lead Vice President, Dr. Hardin serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and supports the work of the Accreditation Relations Unit. She also continues to serve as a liaison to member institutions.

“I am excited to have Dr. Hardin in the position of Lead Vice President. In this leadership role, she will continue to contribute valuable insights from multiple perspectives related to the work of accreditation, relying on her current experience in working with institutions and on her former role as a peer reviewer for other organizations both domestically and globally,” stated MSCHE Senior Vice President Dr. Idna Corbett.

Before coming to MSCHE, Dr. Hardin served at CAPA The Global Education Network where she oversaw all aspects of CAPA’s academic affairs. Dr. Hardin has more than two decades of experience as an international education professional, including as the Assistant Dean for International Studies at Ursinus College. 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, 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. Dr. Hardin 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.