Dr. Melanie Buford (she/her) is an Author, Career Consultant, and Teaching Specialist for the Leadership Minor at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. She led the editing team of Mapping the Future of Undergraduate Career Education - an international effort toevolve career preparation in higher education. She has been featured on EdSurge,Puttylike, Truity, and Happen to Your Career. Melanie is currently working on a popular press leadership anthology, to be released in 2025.
Melanie received the Sunny Hansen Graduate Student Award (2024), the Ralph W. Tyler Awardfor outstanding research (2021), and the Kenneth B. Hoyt Career Education Practitioner Award (2019). The YWCA recognized her as a Rising Star (2016). She earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and her Ed.M. in Human Development from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on equity and innovation in career and leadership education.
WRITING
Covering innovation in the practice of career education
"[Melanie] is the embodiment of professional excellence in career coaching and wise career planning advice. She has a strong understanding of industries, as well as different jobs within industries. She is also incredibly insightful about peoples' gifts and talents – and therefore able to help people figure out what would be good and joyful matches for who they are and what their strengths are."
- Shannon I. (Career Coaching Client)
TEACHING
(Re)Imagining career and leadership education for university students