Melissa Scott Kozak

Education

Research

My research focuses on pedagogy through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) lens. I explore and implement effective pedagogical strategies, with particular interest in:

• Use of alternative texts (e.g., novels in Human Sexuality Across the Lifespan; non-fiction and archives in Family Perspectives in Policymaking)
• Service-learning
• Impact of internships on students' personal, professional, and civic identities
• Peer review

Teaching

As a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE), I teach Human Sexuality Across the Lifespan, Family Perspectives in Policymaking, and Family Life Education Methodology Service-Learning.

As Co-Internship Coordinator, I teach Professional Development & Community Activities and Applied Community Internship.

I received the Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education Credential from CAST in August 2024. "The course content includes strategies to revamp learning goals, materials, technologies, methods, and assessments to remove barriers to learning for students. The process of creating and vetting accessible educational materials and technologies is included; accessibility is a critical element of UDL" (CAST, 2024, para 1).

Prior Professional Positions

Awards

Service

Advisory Committee

Human Development & Family Science Student Association

Areas of Expertise

My areas of expertise include the scholarship of teaching and learning, family life education, service-learning, professional development, and internships.

Biography

First-Generation College Graduate | Educator 

I am a first-generation college student from Spring, Texas. I earned my B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. During my undergraduate studies, I participated in the Texas Families Project, focusing on the complexities of families post-divorce, including intimate relationships, remarriage, and parent-child interactions. After graduation, I spent a year teaching English in Prague, Czech Republic.

As an M.S. student at the University of Georgia, I worked with the FACS Legislative Aide program, where I recruited students, organized events, and communicated state policy processes to college stakeholders. During my Ph.D. studies at the University of Georgia, I worked with the Birth to Five Certification Program in partnership with the Mary Frances Early College of Education. I supervised student teachers in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, assessed lesson plans, and graded assignments. Concurrently, I taught at Athens Technical College in the Early Care & Education Department, teaching courses such as Language Arts and Literature for Children, Art for Children, Social Issues, and Human Growth and Development.

After earning my Ph.D. in 2011, I began teaching in my home department.

Books

Gonyea, J.L. & Kozak, M.S. (2018). Navigating career roadmaps: Developing your professional GPS through internships (3rd Edition). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall-Hunt Publishing.

Job Description

As a Principal Lecturer, I teach coursework that is required for Family Life Education Certification.

As the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in Human Development and Family Science, I ensure that the program runs efficiently, supports both students and faculty, and contributes to the university’s academic mission. I achieve this by:

• Developing and maintaining program curricula in collaboration with faculty
• Contributing to the development and implementation of new academic programs or courses
• Ensuring the program aligns with university policies and meets professional standards
• Organizing and managing course schedules, including course offerings each semester
• Providing guidance on academic policies, graduation requirements, and academic challenges
• Helping students with issues like transferring credits or petitions for exceptions to policies
• Acting as a point of contact for prospective and current students, answering questions about the program
• Attending student recruitment events
• Handling accreditation reports, assessments, or other documentation related to the program’s standards
• Helping with faculty recruitment and appointments related to the program

Journal Articles

Matthews, P, Calabria, J., Glenn, J., Injaian, A., Kozak, M.S., Landers-Potts, M., Stull, J., Thompson, K. (2025). Faculty and Student Perceptions of Service-Learning’s Influence on University Student Resilience. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. Accepted.

Kozak, M.S. & Schlechte, K. (Fall 2018). Disarming the teaching and learning process: Deliberating in the classroom. CFLE Network, 31.4. National Council on Family Relations.

Gonyea, J. & Kozak, M.S. (2014). Scaffolding family science student experiences to increase employment options and preparedness. Family Science Review, 19 (1).

Kozak, M.S. & McCreight, J. (2013). We Grew It!: Enrichment Through Sustainable Gardening in Elementary School. Journal of Applied Environmental Education and Communication., 12(1), 29-37.

Lee, B.Y., Kozak, M.S., Nancoo, C.P., Chen, H., Middendorf, K., & Gale, J. (In Press 2013). Exploring dominant  discourses: Creating spaces to find voice and cultural identity. Journal of Cultural Diversity: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 20(1).

Kozak, M.S. & McCreight, J. (2010). Collaborative Inquiry: Growing to Learn, and Learning to Grow.  Childhood Education, 87(1), 66-67.

Souto-Manning, M., & Scott, M. (2008). Book Review: Childhood Bilingualism. Research on Infancy through School Age Critical Inquiry in Language Studies: An International Journal, 5(4), 265-270