Dr. Melissa Vang

Dr. Melissa Vang is a higher education researcher and practitioner with more than 11 years of experience advancing equity, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, and student success across California’s community colleges and universities. She currently serves as a Senior Research Analyst at Mount San Antonio College, where she leads research and planning initiatives that inform institutional decision-making, including serving as the lead researcher for the college’s 2025–2028 Student Equity Plan and contributing to the 2035 Comprehensive Educational and Facilities Master Plan.

Prior to joining Mount San Antonio College, Dr. Vang served as Senior Institutional Research Analyst at Ohlone College and as an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Research Analyst at California State University, Los Angeles. She also worked as a Research Associate with the Community College Equity Assessment Lab supporting colleges nationwide in advancing equity-centered research and student success initiatives.

Dr. Vang earned her Doctor of Philosophy in education through the Joint Doctoral Program between San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University. Her scholarship focuses on equity, belonging, racial and ethnic identity, and Hmong American students in higher education. In addition to her research and leadership work, she has taught undergraduate-, graduate-, and doctoral-level courses in research methods and educational leadership. 

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