Melissa Ortiz

​​​​​Melissa Ortiz joined The Wallace Foundation in 2023. She supports the research unit in the development and implementation of new and current initiatives across all foundation focus areas.

​​​​​Ortiz has 10 years of experience in social science research and administration in a variety of nonprofit organizations and universities, including the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. She also has worked in philanthropy, most recently as a programs and research associate at Mindful Philanthropy, which activates impactful funding to advance mental health and well-being, and as an applied research analyst at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for High Impact Philanthropy. She has volunteered and worked directly with K-12 students as the youth leadership and research manager at the Centro de Cultura, Arte, Trabajo, y Educación, a community nonprofit in Norristown, Pa.

​​​​​Ortiz earned a B.A. in psychology from Loyola Marymount University and an M.S. in education from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She is a first-year Ph.D. student in the sociology of education program at N.Y.U. Steinhardt. In her spare time, she likes to read and stay active through biking, ballet, and trying out different workout studios throughout New York City.