Melissa Woo

Biography

Melissa retired from her role as the Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Information Officer at Michigan State University. Her role oversaw University Human Resources, Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, Real Estate, Sustainability, Information Technology, Procurement, University Stores, and Campus Mail Services. She also served as the president of the Michigan State University Foundation, whose mission is to support MSU achieve its economic development goals through the commercialization of student, faculty, and staff intellectual property. 

She has also worked at Stony Brook University, University of Oregon, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Melissa, recipient of the EDUCAUSE 2019 DEI Leadership and EDUCAUSE 2012 Rising Star Awards, is a Frye Leadership (now Leading Change) Institute Fellow. She served as on the EDUCAUSE Board of Directors,  the inaugural EDUCAUSE DEI Advisory Committee, was a Senior Reviewer for EDUCAUSE Review Online, served on the EDUCAUSE 2012 Conference Program Committee, and was a member of the EDUCAUSE Professional Development Advisory Committee, including a year as committee chair. Melissa also served as co-chair for the Higher Education Information Security Council (HEISC).

Melissa has served on a number of other committees and working groups, co-authored articles, and has presented at EDUCAUSE conferences on various topics such as developing aspiring IT leaders, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the IT profession. Additionally, she  served on the InCommon Steering Committee, as a Board member on the NYSERNet.net and NYSERNet.org boards, and is was chair of the Merit Network Board of Directors. She completed her PhD in Biophysics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her Bachelor's degree in Biophysics at the University of California, Berkeley.

EDUCAUSE Publications

  • Melissa Woo on Communicating
    • Multimedia
    • Author

    Hosts Cynthia and Jack talk with Melissa Woo, CIO at Michigan State University, who has been recognized for her staff development, change leadership, and talent for communicating with diverse groups of people.

  • 2019 EDUCAUSE Awards
    • Article
    • Author

    The EDUCAUSE Awards Program, under the guidance of the EDUCAUSE Recognition Committee, brings peer endorsement and distinction to professional accomplishments in higher education information technology.

See All Publications by Melissa Woo

EDUCAUSE Presentations

See All Presentations by Melissa Woo

Memberships

EDUCAUSE Member

EDUCAUSE Involvement

  • Board Governance Committee
    • Member: 2023
  • EDUCAUSE Board of Directors
    • Member: 2022 - 2023
  • Policy Advisory Committee
    • Member: 2021 - 2022
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Committee
    • Member: 2019 - 2020
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force
    • Member: 2018
  • EDUCAUSE Analytics Services Design Panel
    • Member: 2016 - Present
  • EDUCAUSE/Jisc Working Group
    • Member: 2015 - 2016
  • Cybersecurity and Privacy Program Advisory Committee
    • Chair: 2014 - 2017
    • Member: 2014 - 2017
  • HEISC Executive Committee
    • Member: 2014
  • Advisory Group on Enterprise Information Systems and Service
    • Chair: 2012 - 2013
    • Member: 2012 - 2013
  • EDUCAUSE Review Online Reviewers
    • Senior Reviewer: 2012 - 2015
    • Member: 2012 - 2015
  • EDUCAUSE 2012 Program Committee
    • Member: 2011 - 2014
  • Enterprise 2010 Program Committee
    • Member: 2009 - 2010
  • Professional Development Committee
    • Member: 2008 - 2011
  • Enterprise 2009 Program Committee
    • Member: 2008 - 2009
  • Midwest Regional Conference 2008 Program Committee
    • Member: 2007 - 2008