Melissa Colon

Melissa Colon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Education Leadership and Policy Studies at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Massachusetts Boston. She is also a Research Associate at the Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy (UMass Boston) and at Tufts Interdisciplinary Evaluator Research (TIER) at Tufts University, where she co-developed the Community Evaluators Project.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Child Study and Human Development and an M.P.P. in Urban and Environmental Planning from Tufts University, and a BA in Education and History from Boston College.

Melissa's research focuses on educational equity, particularly the schooling experiences of Black and Latine youth, with a special emphasis on Puerto Rican students. She investigates how race and gender ideologies are lived through educational policies and programs. Her methodological approach is rooted in qualitative, participatory, and community-engaged scholarship, aiming to democratize knowledge and center community voices. Recently, her work has expanded into the impact of political, health, and environmental disasters on schooling, exploring how disaster recovery can be made more culturally sustaining and equitable.

Her upcoming book, Critical Perspectives of Latino Education in Massachusetts, co-edited with Dr. Lorna Rivera, is scheduled for publication in August 2025, highlighting her contribution to the scholarship on Latino education in the Northeast.

As a Research Associate, she contributes to community-based evaluation and policy development, particularly within Latino communities. Her work bridges academic research with practical, community-driven solutions, reflecting a deep commitment to social justice and educational transformation.

Melissa Colon is an active scholar whose work informs both policy and pedagogy in urban education contexts, with a strong emphasis on equity, community partnership, and critical inquiry.