Melissa Scheve

Melissa Scheve is the Program Director for Teaching and Learning Initiatives for the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) and the Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Notre Dame. Within IEI, Melissa supervises and mentors teachers in the ACE Teaching Fellows program and teaches a course on the principles of effective teaching to aspiring teachers in the Education, Schooling, and Society (ESS) minor for undergraduates.

As a first generation college graduate, Melissa is particularly interested in helping to develop safe, inclusive, and accessible learning spaces for all students. Prior to joining the University of Notre Dame, Melissa held appointments at Yale University and Stanford University. At Yale, Melissa worked at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning to support instructors across the university in their teaching and as a Lecturer in Education Studies, launching a partnership with local schools as a pathway into teaching for Yale undergraduates. At Stanford University, she directed the Hollyhock Fellowship, a nationwide program for early-career teachers striving to improve the quality of their teaching and contribute to a reduction in teacher turnover in schools serving vulnerable student populations, and taught Secondary English methods in the Stanford Teacher Education Program. Before her time at Stanford and Yale, Melissa taught high school for 15 years in Catholic, public, and charter schools; served as department chair; led professional development; and was recognized for various teaching awards.

Degrees

• 1994 M.A., English, University of Kansas
• 1990 B.S., Secondary Education, English, Kansas State University

Awards

• National Board-Certified Teacher, 1998 - 2019
• Stanford University Manager Academy Graduate, 2015
• Stanford University Graduate School of Education Staff Award, 2013
• A Better Chance (ABC) Outstanding Teacher Award, Andover High School 1999
• Semi-finalist for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, 1998
• Presidential Scholarship at Kansas State University, 1986 - 1990

Publications

• “Taking Core Practices to the Field” in Grossman, P (Ed.) Teaching Core Practices in Teacher Education, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2018 (with Bien, A., Carlson, J., Kazemi, E., Reisman, A., & Wells, A.).
• Scheve, M.; Piper, M. Working for Social Justice: A Review of Students as Leaders in Pedagogical Partner Programs. Social Sciences 2025, 14, 155. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030155

CV