Melissa Dahlin, Ph.D., is a Senior Director of Research and Equity Initiatives at Policy Equity Group. Dr. Dahlin’s commitment to strengthening early childhood systems is driven from insights gained over her 20 years of experience in early childhood practice, policy, and research. She began her career as an early childhood educator for five years before moving into federal and state early childhood policy work. Through the federally-funded Center on Enhancing Early Outcomes (CEELO), she supported states in early childhood systems work by weaving together knowledge from the research base with lessons learned from other states. As a researcher, she has conducted evaluations of international USAID-funded educational projects and engaged in National Institute of Health-funded research on parenting. Dr. Dahlin has published peer-reviewed articles and presented at several national and regional conferences. Dr. Dahlin has served as a board member for the Orange County Association for the Education of Young Children and is currently a board member at a TK-8 Waldorf-inspired charter school. Her experiences drive her work to support policies informed by those living the system. She holds a Ph.D. in education with a focus on human development in context from the University of California, Irvine, where she also completed her undergraduate studies in History. She earned an M.A. in international educational development from Teachers College, Columbia University.