Coffee snob, Perpetual Learner, Mindfulness Maven
Melissa Carter, EdD, is Director of Student Life and Partnerships at Interfaith America, where she leads national efforts to advance student leadership and institutional change in higher education at a pivotal moment for pluralistic democracy. She sets the strategic vision for engaging college students and campus professionals, elevating student leadership as a driver of cultural and institutional pluralism within and beyond the academy.
Dr. Carter brings more than a decade of leadership experience in higher education. Prior to Interfaith America, she served as Senior Director of Global Spiritual Life and Head of Mindfulness Education at New York University, overseeing campus-wide interfaith engagement, religious literacy initiatives, contemplative practice, and student leadership development. She has taught at NYU, Claremont Lincoln University, and currently at the NYU Silver School of Social Work. Her research focuses on student well-being, generational cohorts, and interfaith engagement. She is a co-author of A Student’s Search for Meaning (2023). She lives in Harlem, New York, with her 3-year-old son Sage and their moody cat Luna.