Melissa Shehane
With over two decades in higher education, including 18 years of service to Texas A&M University, Melissa Shehane, Ph.D., has modeled a career based on the philosophy of educating through empowerment.
Shehane joined the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management in 2022 as an instructional assistant professor. Since that time, she has empowered more than 732 undergraduate and graduate students across eight courses as they embark on a journey of personal and professional development.
“Dr. Shehane is uniquely positioned in our department due to her expertise in both natural resources and leadership development,” said Roel Lopez, Ph.D., RWFM department head. “This blend allows her to excel at fostering student leadership through intentionally designed, transformational learning experiences.
“Whether in first-year experience courses, service-learning projects, writing-intensive assignments, internships, large-scale events, semester-long team projects with natural resource professionals, field courses, or culminating portfolios, Melissa integrates leadership opportunities, communication and problem-solving into her teaching and holistic development.”
Beyond the classroom, Shehane developed and oversees the RWFM Internship and Research Partner Program, providing students with invaluable hands-on experiences to prepare them for career success.
This year, she received the First-Year Advocate Award from the Texas A&M Office of Student Success and the RWFM Teaching Excellence Award.
“As Parker Palmer once said, ‘The courage to teach is the courage to keep one's heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able, so that teacher, students and subjects can be woven into the community that learning and living require,’” Shehane said. “This speaks to the heart of my work — fostering meaningful relationships and transformative experiences that impact students’ personal and academic growth.”
In addition to teaching and mentorship activities, Shehane is a co-primary investigator on two U.S. Department of Agriculture grants focused on promoting Climate-Smart agricultural practices and supporting on-the-job training and employment opportunities for underrepresented students.
Shehane is also a member of the Society for Range Management and The Wildlife Society. She has presented at multiple state and national professional conferences on leadership, curriculum development and high-impact learning experiences.
Her leadership and expertise are also sought across the Texas A&M campus. She serves as a faculty trainer for the Mays Business School’s Center for Executive Development and is frequently invited to speak to various departments and organizations. She is also an active community volunteer, supporting youth organizations such as the Brazos County 4-H, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
“It has been an incredible blessing to return to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and contribute to the land-grant mission, serving students in impactful and meaningful ways,” Shehane said. “I look forward to continuing to help guide and shape the next generation of professionals, especially in the context of tackling challenges in natural resources and agriculture.”
Shehane holds a bachelor’s in renewable natural resources and a doctoral degree in agricultural leadership, education and communications from Texas A&M. She earned a Master of Education in college student affairs from The Pennsylvania State University.
