Assessment practitioner and educational developer advancing data-driven, equity-minded culture in higher education.

Melissa E. Ko, PhD

Check out my CV

What I Do

Analyst.

My background in research, computational methods, and applied data science informs how I approach education. I use tools like R programming to analyze datasets related to teaching and learning.

Educator.

My experiences as a college instructor frame how I approach my day-to-day work in faculty development. I apply backward design to create learner-centered engagements for students, staff, and faculty alike.

Advocate.

My lived experiences motivate what I do. I infuse my work with equitable principles to improve outcomes for students with diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ identies, and disabilities among others.

My Projects

Learning Assessment

Analyzing Data at the Program-level

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Starting a Campus-wide Movement

Equity-Oriented Instructor Training

Building UC-wide Professional Development

Alternative Grading

Designing Innovative Course Assessment

Program Evaluation

Measuring the Work of a CTL

Assessment and Learning Publications

Producing Scholarship at the Intersection

Data Visualizations

Empowering Quantitative Insights

Assessment Coaching

Inspiring Instructors to Grade Differently

My Background

My professional roles have spanned research, teaching, and adminstration.

  • 2012

    MIT SB Program

    Undergraduate studies in biology. Volunteer teaching and educational outreach.

  • 2018

    Stanford PhD Program

    Graduate studies in computational cancer biology. College instruction and mentorship.

  • image alt text

    2018-2020

    Stanford Introductory Studies

    Full-time lecturer position focused on introductory courses.

  • image alt text

    2018-2021

    Stanford CTL

    Ongoing part-time consultant focused on inclusive, equitable teaching.

  • image alt text

    2018-2022

    Foothill College

    Part-time instructor designing gateway courses in the Biology department.

  • 2020-2021

    Stanford Bioengineering

    Embedded curricular development and educational research in the department.

  • 2022-now

    UC Berkeley CTL

    Assessment professional and faculty developer involved in SoTL research.

Let's Connect

Dr. Melissa E. Ko

Assessment & Curriculum Design Specialist