Melissa Schigoda, MS: Research Associate/Information Design

melissas@gnocdc.org

Melissa Schigoda is a Research Associate/Information Design for Nonprofit Knowledge Works. She is responsible for the information design and the dissemination of the Data Center’s products. Melissa’s expertise lies in communicating complex information to diverse audiences through easy–to–understand graphs, maps, and infographics, as well as clearly laid out written content. She leads the report production process and manages the Data Center’s website, social media, e–newsletters, and data request system. She also develops and tracks metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of information dissemination methods, and she performs the background research that lays the groundwork for many of the Data Center’s products.

Prior to coming to Knowledge Works, Melissa served as a Mayoral Fellow in the City of New Orleans’ Housing Renewal Division where she tracked and analyzed local housing data and contributed to the development of the City’s housing policies and programs. Before that, Melissa gained a more grass–roots view of the New Orleans’ recovery from her collaboration with a variety of nonprofits through her work at the Tulane University Center for Public Service. Melissa has also worked internationally through internships at community development organizations in Peru and Argentina. She earned her BA in political science and international development and her MS in international development from Tulane University.

Expertise

• Information design
• Post–disaster housing recovery
• Neighborhood indicator projects
• Community–based and applied research

Experience

• Research Associate, PolicyLink
• Mayoral Fellow, City of New Orleans’ Housing Renewal Division
• Senior Program Coordinator, Tulane University’s Center for Public Service
• Assistant Project Manager and Events Production, Neighborhood Partnership Network

Education

• MS in International Development, Tulane University
• BA in Political Science and International Development, Tulane University