Melissa Stoffers

Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Student Development in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research examines how educational systems, relationships, and social contexts shape the experiences and well-being of individuals with disabilities across educational and community settings, with a particular emphasis on PK-12 education. Drawing on her background as a special education teacher, she studies how policies, organizational structures, and everyday interactions influence access to educational opportunities, social experiences, and social-emotional development.

Using mixed methods, participatory, and community-engaged approaches, Dr. Stoffers partners with educators, schools, policymakers, and individuals with disabilities to investigate questions related to inclusive education, social-emotional well-being, educator collaboration, and the conditions that support equitable learning. Her work explores how children and youth develop belonging, build relationships, and participate meaningfully in educational communities, while also examining the systems and adult supports that make those experiences possible. Across her scholarship, she seeks to elevate the perspectives of individuals with disabilities and generate research that informs practice, policy, and systems change.

Prior to joining UMass Amherst, Dr. Stoffers completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she contributed to research conducted in collaboration with the Nevada Department of Education on early childhood systems and kindergarten transition. She also served as a consultant with the Education Collaboratory, contributing to projects focused on inclusive education and social-emotional learning, including work with youth advisory boards to inform research and practice. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Delaware. Her research has been published in journals including Exceptional Children, Journal of Special Education, Remedial and Special Education, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, and Psychology in the Schools.