Program Leadership

Dr. Melissa Morriss-Olson

Program Founding Director Dr. Melissa Morriss-Olson, PhD, brings to Bay Path students more than 30 years of higher education leadership. She was previously Bay Path’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Her work has helped to strengthen Bay Path’s financial stability and academic growth even while many other small universities have struggled or closed their doors. Indeed, the Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac 2018-19 named Bay Path one of the fastest-growing universities in the U.S.

Dr. Mela Dutka

Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor Dr. Mela Dutka, PhD, brings to the program over 30 years of experience in student affairs leadership at small and large institutions nationwide. Dutka’s passion for higher education began during her undergraduate years when she served in positions as a student leader and resident assistant at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Dr. Liz Fleming

Dr. Liz Fleming is the Program Coordinator for the EdD in Educational Leadership: Transformative School Leadership concentration. Dr. Fleming has conducted national and local presentations, has initiated programs for the practice of inclusion, and has been actively committed to training professionals in state-of-the-art inclusionary practices for educators and students. During her 30-year career, she has been involved in many roles including teaching, being a principal investigator of several federal grants, conducting public school program evaluations, chairing college education accreditation evaluations, being a co-editor/section editor of a national teaching journal, and overseeing a School of Education.

Marcie Custer

Program Manager Marcie Custer, MEd brings to the program over 20 years of experience in the corporate and education sectors, where she has served in various capacities. She provides a diverse and unique skill set to the program, which includes support, organization, development, marketing, management, graphic design, problem solving, and research.