Assistant Professor-Special Education
Academic Degrees
Melissa C. Jenkins, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in special education and educational foundations. Dr. Jenkins brings over 18 years of public school experience to her role as a teacher educator. Prior to coming to the University of Mary Washington in 2019, she worked in Virginia public schools as a special education teacher, instructional coach, and central office administrator. Dr. Jenkins’ instructional practices and research are focused on ensuring high quality, inclusive educational experiences for learners with disabilities. Her recent research related to K-12 education has focused on the impact of remote instruction on academic and social-emotional outcomes for students with disabilities. Her research related to teacher preparation has addressed the use of self-monitoring to foster wellbeing for pre-service teachers and the use of interactive role-playing experiences to improve data-based decision making. Recent publications include articles in journals such as The Teacher Educators’ Journal, Intervention in School & Clinic, International Journal of Inclusive Education, and Journal of Science Teacher Education. Dr. Jenkins has also written chapters in books focused on foundations of education, special education research, and response to intervention.