Melissa Scott Kozak
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Principal Lecturer & Undergraduate Program Coordinator
119 Dawson Hall
305 Sanford Dr.
Athens, GA 30602
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. | Child and Family Development | University of Georgia | 2011 |
| M.S. | Child and Family Development | University of Georgia | 2009 |
| B.S. | Human Development and Family Studies | The University of Texas at Austin | 2006 |
Research
As a Principal Lecturer, I research pedagogy through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) lens. I systematically examine the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies. I examined the:
- peer review process
- use of alternative texts: novels in Human Sexuality Across the Lifespan and non-fiction in Family Perspectives in Policymaking
- impact of internships on students' personal, professional, and civic identities
Teaching
Courses taught include Human Sexuality Across the Lifespan, Family Perspectives in Policymaking, and Family Life Education Methodology Service-Learning.
As Co-Internship Coordinator, Professional Development & Community Activities and Applied Community Internship.
I received the Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education Credential from CAST in August 2024. "The course content includes strategies to revamp learning goals, materials, technologies, methods, and assessments to remove barriers to learning for students. The process of creating and vetting accessible educational materials and technologies is included; accessibility is a critical element of UDL" (CAST, 2024, para 1).
Prior Professional Positions
| Organization | Title | Years of Service |
|---|---|---|
| Athens Technical College | Adjunct Instructor | 2 |
Awards
| Award Name | Awarded By | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Fellow | University of Georgia - Center for Teaching and Learning | 2013 |
| Teaching Academy Fellow | University of Georgia - Teaching Academy | 2013 |
| Teacher of the Week | Center for Teaching and Learning | 2014 |
| Undergraduate Mentorship Award | Human Development and Family Science | 2015 |
| Special Collections Library Fellow | University of Georgia | 2017 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Faculty Ambassador | College of Family and Consumer Sciences | 2018 |
| Service-Learning Fellow | Office of Service-Learning | 2019 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher of the Year | College of Family and Consumer Sciences | 2020 |
| Active Learning Summer Institute (ALSI) Participant | Center for Teaching & Learning | 2024 |
| Fellows for Transformative Teaching | Center for Teaching & Learning | 2024-25 |
Service
| Organization | Title | Year(s) | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Farm to School | Co-director | 2010-2015 | Community |
| Athens Farmers Market | Volunteer | 2009-2015 | Community |
| Athens Land Trust Community Garden Network | School Garden Member | 2010-2012 | Community |
Advisory Committee
Human Development & Family Science Student Association
Areas of Expertise
My areas of expertise include the scholarship of teaching and learning, family life education, service-learning, professional development, and internships.
Biography
I am a first-generation college student from Spring, Texas (Houston suburb). I graduated with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. As an undergraduate student, I was involved in the Texas Families Project - examining the complexities of families after divorce, with a focus on intimate relationships, remarriage, and parent-child interactions. After graduating, I spent a year in Prague, CZ teaching English.
As a M.S. student at the University of Georgia, I worked with the FACS Legislative Aide program to recruit students, organize events, and communicate state policy processes with college stakeholders. As a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia, I worked with the Birth to Five Certification Program (in partnership with the Mary Frances Early College of Education). I supervised student teachers in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms - conducting observations and assessments (review, grading, etc.) of lesson plans and other related assignments. While a Ph.D. student, I taught at Athens Technical College in the Early Care & Education Department. Courses included Language Arts and Literature for Children, Art for Children, Social Issues, and Human Growth and Development. After earning my Ph.D. in 2011, I began teaching in my home department.
Books
Gonyea, J.L. & Kozak, M.S. (2018). Navigating career roadmaps: Developing your professional GPS through internships (3rd Edition). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall-Hunt Publishing.
Job Description
As a Principal Lecturer, I teach coursework that is required for Family Life Education Certification.
As an Undergraduate Program Coordinator, I am responsible for student recruitment, retention, and promotion of HDFS Undergraduate Students. I also collaborate with faculty and staff to plan the curriculum, schedule classes, and assess departmental Student Learning Outcomes.
Journal Articles
Kozak, M.S. & Schlechte, K. (Fall 2018). Disarming the teaching and learning process: Deliberating in the classroom. CFLE Network, 31.4. National Council on Family Relations.
Gonyea, J. & Kozak, M.S. (2014). Scaffolding family science student experiences to increase employment options and preparedness. Family Science Review, 19 (1).
Kozak, M.S. & McCreight, J. (2013). We Grew It!: Enrichment Through Sustainable Gardening in Elementary School. Journal of Applied Environmental Education and Communication., 12(1), 29-37.
Lee, B.Y., Kozak, M.S., Nancoo, C.P., Chen, H., Middendorf, K., & Gale, J. (In Press 2013). Exploring dominant discourses: Creating spaces to find voice and cultural identity. Journal of Cultural Diversity: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 20(1).
Kozak, M.S. & McCreight, J. (2010). Collaborative Inquiry: Growing to Learn, and Learning to Grow. Childhood Education, 87(1), 66-67.
Souto-Manning, M., & Scott, M. (2008). Book Review: Childhood Bilingualism. Research on Infancy through School Age Critical Inquiry in Language Studies: An International Journal, 5(4), 265-270