Melissa Samuelson

Melissa Samuelson is a Clinical Associate Professor of Accountancy who joined the W. P. Carey School of Business in 2014.  She is also currently serving as the School of Accountancy's Teaching Lead and Associate Director.

Before joining W. P. Carey, Samuelson taught international business ethics and ran international programs for business development focusing on women at Thunderbird School of Global Management for five years.  She has also taught as a graduate instructor in political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with specializations in gender studies and human rights.  She also holds a graduate degree in gender and economic development from the University of Melbourne.

Professor Samuelson’s diverse research has focused on the role of microfinance and microenterprise in developing economies and incorporating personal values in professional decision-making and communication. She also carries out research on teaching and learning in business ethics.

Samuelson has considerable global experience.  She has been a visiting professor at the University of Paris II in the Master of International Business and Commerce Program from 2017-2021 and at Technológico de Monterrey in 2019 as a part of international faculty week. She has worked internationally in Afghanistan, Algeria, and Nepal, including designing and monitoring programs to train women business owners and entrepreneurs in Jordan, as well as working with Education for Humanity to create entrepreneurship courses and toolkits for refugees around the world. Samuelson has also taught study abroad courses in Costa Rica, Jordan, India, and the Czech Republic.

In her spare time, Melissa enjoys competing in endurance events like marathons and triathlons.  During the summer and fall she can be found before dawn coaching cross country runners at McClintock High School.