Professional summary
Melissa joined UKCEH as International Relations Coordinator in June 2025. She supports key international engagements and strengthening relationships with multilateral organisations, including UN agencies, as a modality to provide research-based evidence, advice and solutions to address many of the world鈥檚 most pressing environmental, economic and societal challenges.
Melissa previously worked at CAB International, leading multi-stakeholder engagements to advance sustainable soil management solutions in Africa, at a national, regional and continental level. She is a founding member of the Coalition for Soil Information Systems for Africa (C4SISA), a collaborative effort of international organisations, led by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), to better coordinate the path forward for sustainable systems design and operation to implement the Africa Union Commission鈥檚 10-year African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan.
Melissa holds a Masters in International Development from SOAS, University of London, where her research focused on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the copper and cobalt mining industry on local communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She provided policy recommendations for the UK government to consider a circular economy approach to mitigate harms caused by the metal mining industry as a result of the increased demand for electric vehicles.