Dr. Melissa Comer, a professor in the College of Education and Human Sciences at Tennessee Tech University, teaches undergraduate and graduate literacy courses. Certified by the Online Learning Consortium Institute for Professional Development, she was presented with the Quality Enhancement Plan Award for Excellence in Innovative Instruction. A recipient of multiple research grants, her work has addressed looping in higher education, teacher quality, reflective and reflexive inquiry, and preserving the voices of rural communities, especially those in Appalachia. She is a Faculty Fellow with the Renaissance Foundry Gadugi Fellows Program and an expert panelist for the 2026 Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning. Her professional record includes presentations, keynotes, webinars, publications, and service at the local, regional, national, and international levels. She is editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Childhood Education.
