Dr. Melissa McCollister
Title: Assistant Professor of Social Work
Dept.: Social Work
Office: Rasmussen Center 127
Prior to joining Grand View in 2023, Dr. Melissa K. McCollister practiced community social work in the areas of antiracism, anti-oppression, and multicultural community capacity building, LGBTQ+ advocacy, child welfare education and training, criminal justice reform, and social justice activism.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- B.A.S.W in Social Work from the University of Akron (2003)
- M.S.W. in Social Work, Advanced Standing, Macro Practice, from the University of Akron & Cleveland State University Joint MSW Program (2004)
- Master’s Thesis: Death of a Child on a Child Welfare Workers Caseload: The Need for Critical Stress Peer Debriefing
- Ph.D. in Human Services, Non-Profit Management, from Capella University (2014)
- Dissertation: Emotional Intelligence and Agency Turnover Rates Among Metro and Non-Metro Public Child Welfare Workers
Grand View Start Date
AREAS OF PRACTICE EXPERIENCE
- Antiracism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
- Child welfare
- Criminal justice reform (NAACP-CR #4013 Chair, Criminal Justice Committee)
- Community capacity building and community participatory action research
- Grant writing, fundraising, program development, and program evaluation
- LGBTQ+ populations and leadership (Executive Director and Youth Coordinator)
- Social justice advocacy and solidarity (People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond)
CERTIFICATES
- Emotional intelligence (MSCEIT certification)
- Motivational interviewing (NEOMED certification)
HONORS & AWARDS
- Faculty Community Engagement Award, Indiana State University, College of Health and Human Services, Terre Haute, IN, 2020
- Leadership Institute Fellow Award, Indiana State University, College of Health and Human Services, Terre Haute, IN, 2019-2020
- Project: Leading Efforts in the College and the Community to Implement an Antiracist, Antioppressive and Multicultural Community Impact Model
- Faculty Case Study Competition Championship Award, Indiana State University, Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence, Terre Haute, IN Learning Connections Summit, 2019
- Outstanding Undergraduate Alumni Award, University of Akron, School of Social Work, Akron, OH, 2015
PUBLICATION
McCollister, M. (2023). Addressing racism as a public health crisis: A civic duty. In H. Chandan (Ed.), Implications of marginalization and critical race theory on social justice (pp. 106-123). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-3615-8.ch006
PERSONAL INTERESTS
- Playing professional steel tip darts
- Painting, acrylic and oil
- Playing guitar and writing songs
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What makes Grand View unique among other universities? |
Grand View University stands out among other institutions by offering a unique combination of small class sizes, personalized attention from faculty, and a student-centered approach to learning and growth. For students who value working closely with faculty and peers in a supportive and collaborative environment, Grand View provides an ideal setting to thrive academically and personally. |
What is your favorite part about working at Grand View? |
The students! |