Melina Ivanchikova

Melina Ivanchikova is the Associate Director of Inclusive Teaching in the Center for Teaching Innovation at Cornell University. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, she specializes in developing faculty programming focused on diversity, inclusion, and equity. Her expertise spans reflective and inclusive teaching, global and intercultural learning, and culturally-responsive pedagogy. Ivanchikova's diverse background includes roles at Northern Essex Community College, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Cornell, where she has focused on Latinidad, mentoring, and curriculum development. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry, an M.A. in English, and a B.A. in Russian/International Relations and Comparative Literature. As a bicultural, Spanish-fluent educator and activist, Ivanchikova brings a unique perspective to her work. She has co-authored academic articles on active pedagogy and study abroad programs, and is also an accomplished poet. At Cornell, she teaches the course "Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom," leveraging her extensive experience to promote inclusive and intercultural teaching practices in higher education.