Resume
Selected Program Management Experience
Vision-driven academic and administrator offering a Ph.D in Ethics and Social Theory and program management experience. Dr. James brings over 15 years of experience of leading organizations to the realization of their vision including strategic program building, board development, and fundraising. Driven leader committed to identifying, training, and supporting effective staff and volunteers to create positive change in their communities through building sustainable and collaborative institutions.
Education
PhD, Ethics and Social Theory
Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA.
MA
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Chicago, IL
May 2004
BA, summa cum laude, Major: Religion; Concentration: Youth and Family Ministry
Wartburg College, Waverly, IA.
2002
Selected Presentations and Publications
Teaching
Teaching Philosophy: Asking The “Big Questions”
Dr. Melissa James has tremendous experience in educating others centering learning on delving into “big questions” in an engaging and participatory way.
Through her teaching, Dr. James works to
· Encourage socially-critical ethical reflection as a part of our every-day lives.
· Build a community of engaged teacher/learners equipped to live ethically in the world.
· Help students develop skills necessary to succeed academically and personally with particular attention to integrating learning.
Selected Teaching Experience
Selected Educational Learning Tools and Activities
Example: Farm-Based Education Tools
Example Learning Activity: Sexual Ethics
Task Force Group 1: Cultural Understandings of Marriage
In this project, religious education students researched, proposed, implemented, & evaluated community actions in response to sexual ethics topics. The group activity pictured to the left encouraged their campus community by asking the question: "What is your definition of family?"