Media and identity construction

college student development theory

identity development of LGBTQ+ college students

fandoms and fan spaces

About

Dr. Melissa Allen joined the Department of Focused Inquiry in the Fall of 2024 as a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow. A native Virginian, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from James Madison University before completing her doctoral studies at the William & Mary School of Education where her dissertation research focused on the role of fiction-based parasocial relationships during identity construction processes of bisexual+ emerging adults. Melissa’s other scholarship has been published in Games and Culture, Journal of Bisexuality, and Journal of Fandom Studies (forthcoming). With a background as a student affairs practitioner, she is passionate about creating learning environments that allow for students to discover and explore who they are and how they think both in and out of the classroom. Outside of teaching and research, Melissa enjoys reading the latest romance novel, playing tabletop games with family and friends, and working on arts and crafts.

Education

• Ph.D.-Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership, William & Mary
• M.Ed., College Student Personnel Administration, James Madison University
• B.M.- Vocal Performance, James Madison University
• B.A.- Spanish

Courses

• UNIV 200

Affiliations

• Association of the Study of Higher Education
• Pop Culture Association