About Speaker

Melissa A. Walker, Ph.D. is currently a Director within Educational Equity at Penn State University—with a secondary position within the university as a Learning Partner at Penn State's Workplace Learning and Performance where she provides diversity, team building, accountability, and leadership training for all personnel. She is also the founder of Training and Development Network, LLC, which hosts conferences for women in leadership and provides performance consulting nationwide.

Prior to joining the University, Melissa spent over 15 years working in the software industry developing training curriculum for human resources, diversity, leadership, teamwork, and customer service. She has run volunteer training programs for domestic violence centers in Santa Ana, CA, as well as volunteer research and training design for the CA Dept. of Corrections.

Melissa has a BA in English Literature, a Master’s in Education, and a PhD in Workforce Education from Penn State University.