Melissa Rivard is the Director of Engagement Strategies at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. She is responsible for the development and successful execution of the Center’s portfolio of interactive offerings with our key audiences and partners, and stewards the effective operation of the Engagement and Partnerships Team, aligning their work to advance the organization’s overall strategic priorities.
Melissa joined the Center in December 2015, bringing extensive experience in program design, professional development and qualitative research, and a passion for supporting shared learning among diverse stakeholders. Previously, she worked at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education across a number of educational research initiatives, including a long-term collaboration between early childhood educators in Reggio Emilia and researchers and educators from the U.S. Melissa holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from the University of Minnesota.