Melissa Collins

Melissa Collins is a Senior Research Lead in the Center for Environmental Learning at the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley. In this role, Melissa leads research and evaluation studies focused on understanding how individual, sociocultural, pedagogical, and contextual factors interact to influence environmental and STEM dispositions and learning outcomes for prek-12 youth. Prior to joining the Lawrence Hall of Science, she worked in a variety of educational research and evaluation roles, studying the development of early math and literacy skills, working to improve K–12 formative assessment strategies, and supporting social development programs for children with disabilities. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Harvard College and her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College, where she conducted research on the foundations of early mathematics and the factors predicting kindergarten readiness for children across a range of socioeconomic and cultural contexts.