Mela Dutka, PhD

Dr. Dutka is the Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor in the EdD in Educational Leadership:  Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Studies program. Before joining the faculty, she held senior student affairs leadership roles in a number of colleges. Her experience includes serving as the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students at Washington College in Maryland, Dean of Students, Smith College in Massachusetts, and Dean of Students at Columbia College in South Carolina. Focused on the nature and quality of the student college experience, she has worked extensively guiding strategic change to increase the institutional effectiveness needed for student development and success in and out of class. Dr. Dutka has long been active nationally holding a variety of leadership positions in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and ACPA and in regional and state professional higher education organizations. Dr. Dutka serves on the Board of Directors for Literacy Volunteers of South Central Massachusetts (LVSCM), and is completing a two-year term as President. She is a LVSCM volunteer tutor working with English language learners and those studying to take the U.S. citizenship test.