Melissa Desroches

Dr. Melissa Desroches is an Assistant Professor in the Community Nursing Department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD), where she completed her BS in Nursing (2006), MS in Nursing Education (2017), and PhD (2019) through the BS-PhD program. Her work focuses on reducing health inequities for individuals with developmental disabilities and strengthening healthcare workforce capacity. She currently leads undergraduate curriculum revisions aligning with the 2021 AACN Essentials, reflecting her commitment to advancing nursing education.

• Education:
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2006)
• Master of Science in Nursing Education (2017)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing (2019)

Her research emphasizes systemic changes to improve care for disabled populations. She has held multiple prestigious fellowships, including roles as a Department of Justice expert witness and advisory board member for national organizations. Dr. Desroches advocates for interprofessional collaboration and scalable interventions, leveraging training from fellowships like Johns Hopkins’ Building for Scale Scholars Program.

• Awards/Fellowships:
• LEND Fellowship (UMass Medical School)
• TL1 Postdoctoral Fellowship (Tufts)
• Golisano Institute Fellowship

She advises on nursing curriculum modernization and has contributed to policy development through her role at Suffolk University and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. Dr. Desroches actively mentors students, emphasizing the value of PhD training for building scientific expertise in nursing.