Doctoral Student Melissa J. Daly is the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Operations and Strategy at Emory University, where she provides strategic leadership in support of the Office of the Provost. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration, her work spans academic operations, governance and board relations, executive talent management, budget oversight, and institutional strategy, with a focus on aligning leadership priorities with effective organizational practices and operational excellence.Previously, Daly served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the President at Ithaca College, where she supported institutional strategy, presidential initiatives, and operational leadership. She contributed to the development and launch of the college’s strategic plan, Ithaca Forever, and led the creation of programs that fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration and experiential learning. Earlier in her career, she held senior administrative roles at Rutgers University–Newark.Daly holds an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University, with a concentration in Music Business through Berklee College of Music, and a BA in Sociology from Montclair State University. An artist working across multiple mediums, she has a particular passion for acrylic painting on canvas. She is a wife and mother of three, and her home is deeply rooted in music and creativity. She co-manages her son’s music production and engineering career and is an active volunteer in her daughters’ choral programs.
