Melissa Garza joined the Charles Butt Foundation in September 2023 as the Senior Research Associate. Previously, Melissa served in roles related to research, teaching, grant writing, college advising, and college admissions. Her work spans the K-12 system and post-secondary settings, both public and private, at the community college, university, and graduate levels. Melissa strives to innovate academic spaces while providing sustainable and equitable resources for underserved students. She loves engaging with the community, lifting students’ voices, and learning alongside them.
Melissa is on track to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Developmental Education with a focus on Literacy at Texas State University. She holds a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas State University, as well as both a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her research interests include academic access and success for culturally and linguistically diverse students, developmental literacy, and equity in research methodology.