Melody oversees the Biological Safety, Radiation Safety, Animal Care, and Human Subjects Protection programs at UWM. She joined UWM in February 2016 as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) Administrator, then progressed to IRB Manager before taking on her current role in July 2021. Prior to her work at UWM, she held positions at a healthcare system IRB, two different Clinical Research Organizations, and also taught German at both Concordia University and the University of Kansas. Melody is a Certified IRB Professional. She holds an MA in Germanic Languages and Literature, BAs in German and European Studies and a minor in French from the University of Kansas.