Melissa Peterson

Dr. Melissa Peterson has been shaking things up at KU since 2015, making sure students—especially those who are first-generation, Pell-eligible, and Tribal Citizens—feel seen, supported, and celebrated. She’s led Hawk Link, overseen the Haskell/KU Exchange Program, championed the MSP Scholars Program, and now serves as Assistant Research Professor in the Office of Sovereign Partnerships, teaming up with the Life Span Institute and Indigenous Studies Program to push this work even further.

Her advocacy doesn’t stop at the campus gates. Peterson has served as Associate Executive Director for the Kansas Association of Native American Education (KANAE) and today sits on the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education (KACIE), where she helps shape statewide policy in partnership with KSDE, KBOR, and the state’s four Native Nations.

Born and raised on the Navajo Nation, Peterson’s career path has always centered Native students and communities. She’s served as KU’s Director of Tribal Relations, worked with TRIO Supportive Educational Services & STEM, and supported students through Haskell Indian Nations University and spent time at the Haskell Health Center. Her academic journey mirrors the communities she advocates for: a first-generation student earning a bachelor’s in community health from Virginia Commonwealth University, a master’s in public health from KU Medical Center, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from KU.

Peterson brings all of that—roots, lived experience, and academic muscle—into her work as a relentless advocate and connector for Indigenous and underserved students.