Melissa LaDuke, Ph.D.

Director

Melissa LaDuke, Ph.D.

I’m an accomplished educator and research scientist with more than 18 years of professional experience. I am an Air Force Officer, commissioning as a chemist in 2005. Currently, I am an associate professor at National Intelligence University and educate professionals across the Intelligence Community on issues within emerging technologies. I also am the Assessment Director for the Oettinger School of Science and Technical Intelligence, guiding faculty on best practices to support student learning. Prior to this position, I held instructor positions within the U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps before becoming the Deputy Director for Design and Development, Global School for Professional Military Education. In this role, I led a team to help craft online courses for 32,000 students worldwide. I also developed and implemented Air Force-level instructor certification courses while working at Squadron Officer School. My technical roles include managing acquisition contracts and bench-level research within the Air Force Materials and Manufacturing Lab and serving as the Chief of Safety for the Air Force Rocket Lab. I also ran the continuous process improvement office for the 800-person Air Force Technical Applications Center. My volunteer service focuses on education and equity efforts. I currently serve as the Chair of AAUW’s Inclusion and Equity Committee and have been in this role for three years. I also am part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee at National Intelligence University and advise the Intelligence Community Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics Committee. My research interests, which include adult education, teacher education, and online education, allow me to give back to a larger community. I am an invited conference proposal reviewer for Hawaii University International Conferences and Literacy Research Association conferences and journal reviewer for the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education and World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology. I am a member of the Literary Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, and International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. I am a highly effective leader, facilitator, and problem solver. If elected to the board, I will bring my track record of superior service and dedication to excellence to help the advancement of marginalized parties and AAUW objectives. I hope to continue serving AAUW members in this important capacity.