Melissa Lent Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

New York, New York, United States

New York, New York, United States

As a researcher, I author high-impact reports aligned with the Center for an Urban Future’s mission to build a more inclusive and equitable economy through writing, interviews, and data analysis. My research has influenced two City Council bills on expanding economic opportunity for New Yorkers with disabilities and an increased city investment in the City University of New York's CUNY 2X Tech Initiative. Additionally, I communicate our research findings through op-eds, testimonies, and public speaking arrangements, including the Mayor’s Summit on Disability, Education, and Employment. I also help manage the Center's internship program by recruiting each semester's cohort with the Center's operations manager, setting and keeping track of program goals, managing relationships with university partners, and mentoring interns on research-related and soft skills. As a multimedia specialist, I run our organization's social channels and manage video and design projects.

New York, New York, United States

In this role, I served as a part-time adjunct lecturer for the Media Studies department. My focus was to teach my students how people make meaning, articulate values, and comprehend reality through the media of communication. I created guiding questions, quizzes, PowerPoints, and follow-up emails with supplementary reading/watching material. I taught two sections each semester and acted as a point person for student grades, questions, and concerns.

Remote

In this apprenticeship, I assisted in all areas of podcast production, including branding, content creation, audio editing, promotion, pitching, social media, budgeting, and more. My production experience culminated in co-writing Season 2, Episode 27: "Hyphenated Identity." I served as associate editor, associate producer, assistant audio editor, and assistant producer on several episodes. I also acted as a liaison between the podcast and its media management group. Internally, I also led team organization by onboarding members onto the project management tool Notion and creating team specific guides for social media, episode production, and distribution site PRX for current and future apprentices.

New York, New York, United States

Through this contract position, I wrote a report on the economic challenges facing New Yorkers with disabilities. For the report, I interviewed over a dozen local stakeholders, from advocacy organizations to direct service providers, to collect data and stories on how their target populations were faring during the pandemic. The finished product serves as a jumping-off point for the media and policymakers to continue to bring light to this issue.

In this freelance project, I conceptualized and executed a media campaign to educate young people on mask wearing, mental health during the pandemic, and other topics related to COVID-19. My most important project was producing a podcast episode for Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation on youth anxiety around the coronavirus, which included a youth, mental health professional, and MacArthur “genius” grant winner Angela Duckworth. Along with my partner in the project, I also created a social media toolkit and strategy to target universities across the country.

Greater New York City Area

Awarded the highly selective Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship that develops the personal, professional and cultural potential of remarkable students to become effective and humane leaders. Selection criteria include leadership, ability to work in teams, ambition, openness to new perspectives, communication skills, academic excellence, and integrity.

New York, New York, United States

At Gotham Gazette, my main responsibilities were to serve as a reporter, act as a researcher, and stay abreast of the news as a notetaker. I wrote articles at the intersection of politics and race, education, or business. My research included tracking the stances and policies of elected officials like Governor Cuomo, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, or Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams around public safety. Finally I attended several press conferences or online events and made detailed reports for my editors.

New York, New York

At NBC, my main responsibilities were to pre-interview potential stories and to serve as a production assistant on shoots for the daily Better Get Baquero segment. Every day I would call consumers about their issues with certain companies and write summary reports for my producer and the host of the show. My supervisors would also ask for my input on the quality and feasibility of stories they were considering booking. During shoots, I helped set up microphones, carry equipment, and arrange shots. I also logged footage so the host could write her scripts, booked shoots using our production calendar, and communicated with consumers about documents, follow-up questions and the air date of their story.

Vietnam

My three long-term projects included a booklet, a staff handbook, and a video project. I produced a booklet on all of VinaCapital Foundation's health and education programs. This project included research on other booklets, writing over 4000 words about VCF, and designing the pages on Adobe Illustrator. I also updated the staff handbook by completely redesigning it on Adobe Illustrator, updating existing language, and writing an entirely new company culture code. For the video project, I wrote brief proposals for videos about each of VCF's programs in regard to content and artistic style. My other activities included writing and editing social media and blog posts, editing a video about our marathon fundraiser, taking and editing photos of our hospital visits, planning English games for our scholarship recipients, and shooting video at medical equipment handover ceremonies or VCF's girls' empowerment meeting.

Greater New York City Area

At WNYC, I gathered street interviews for segments of our show, and then cut the audio for our sound designer. I conducted research and gave presentations on my findings related to show ideas or possible subjects for our podcast, Nancy. I also transcribed whole episodes of our show to be accessible to the deaf or academic community.

Manhattan, New York

My most important project was setting the foundation for a new training alumni network. Each year, Gibney hosts two training programs for people to learn to create their own arts and social justice programs. I compiled a contact list for graduates from around the world, which also included what projects they were initiating, a sample survey to identify hot spots for additional support, and an outreach email. I also laid out the structure of the program with the Community Action manager.During my time at Gibney, I also compiled language and photographs for our department's spring brochure, and created a primer on fiscal sponsorship that was used across departments.

Greater New York City Area

I secured sponsors for the 14+ Foundation's Annual Benefit. Our company also held outings and events, and I planned and organized these by researching and contacting venues and caterers. I also managed clients' social media accounts and suggested strategies for growth and exposure.

Greater New York City Area

At this organization, I assisted in chaperoning foster children on cultural excursions around the city. I also vetted caterers for these events, and entered feedback surveys from the participants in a database to help Culture for One better understand which programming was most effective and the goals of the children for the future.

Bachelor'S Degree, Communication And Media Studies, Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian

Activities and Societies: Hunter Athenian: Reporter; The Envoy: Reporter; Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College Peer Mentor Program.

Media Studies/English, Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian

Activities and Societies: TEDxCUNY: Lead Director of Speakers and Programming; CUNY Film Festival