معرفی
Melissa Jessup serves as Department Chair and Associate Professor of Education at Taylor University, where she also holds the position of Director of Special Education. With 24 years of prior experience as a public school educator, she joined Taylor University in fall 2018 as Assistant Professor of Education teaching early literacy courses, transitioned to Director of Special Education in 2019, and currently oversees both roles while fostering institutional partnerships including an exploratory trip to Northern Ireland in 2022.
Her educational background includes:
- EdD in Special Education from Ball State University
- Educational Administrator's License in Educational Administration from Ball State University
- MA in Special Education: Mild Disabilities from Ball State University
- BA in Elementary Education and Special Education from Idaho State University
Dr. Jessup's research centers on special education with emphases on literacy development, inclusive practices, and educational equity. Her work investigates reading engagement factors, achievement barriers, and evidence-based interventions, as demonstrated in her 2019 dissertation "For the Love of Reading: The Impact of Engagement Factors on Reading Proficiency". Current projects include advancing reading science implementation in Indiana and developing inclusive STEM experiences through the Unified Robotics collaboration, which bridges disciplinary boundaries to empower students with disabilities.
She has secured research grants including the "Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana" initiative and presented her work at national conferences such as the National Council for Exceptional Children (2023), Original Lilly Conference on College Teaching (2022), and Midwest Spring ATE Conference (2022). Her academic service includes leading faculty development sessions on Universal Design for Learning, active learning strategies, student engagement, and resilience building for students with disabilities, while mentoring undergraduate researchers as evidenced by her 2023 NCEC presentation co-authored with two students.
