DEPARTMENT

Director of Legal Operations, Office of General Counsel

BIOGRAPHY

Melissa joined the Office of General Counsel in 2015 and serves as Director of Legal Operations. Her professional experience at Rice has varied, with a focus on contracts, employment, compliance, corporate governance and operations. She holds a Master’s in Public Service & Administration from Texas A&M University, Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Houston-Downtown and is an Advanced Certified Paralegal with the National Association of Legal Assistants. Melissa is the incoming President of Higher Education Legal Managers and the Higher Education Group Leader for the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium. Melissa joined the Staff Council in 2024 and served as the Chair of the Communications subcommittee in 2025