Melissa has worked in the Center for Language Education since January 1999. She has taught many of the courses offered by the Center. She has also taught the Business School’s, MBA course, Managerial Communication. She loves teaching and feels this is why she consistently gets positive feedback from her students. She was the co-Editor of a book called Reflecting Teaching: Reflection and innovation in language teaching and learning, and adopts reflective practices in order to continue to develop as a teacher. Melissa has written materials for a number of the Center’s courses, including the English Common Core. She has recently written a new course that is being offered for the first time in Spring 2026: LANG 2069, Supercommunication offline and on: The art of connecting. 

Melissa has been involved in the development of self-access learning materials and activities and has trained others in this area. She has also written and conducted training courses for primary and secondary teachers in Hong Kong on use of a task-based approach, and use of portfolios for learning and assessment. She is interested in taking up further teacher-training opportunities.

Beyond the CLE, Melissa has been very involved in the development of another Common Core Course, HMAW 1905, Habits, Mindsets, and Wellness. Since Fall 2022, all Year 1 students take this course. Melissa believes that this course has a positive impact on the well-being of HKUST students. Melissa is currently also the Coordinator of a Community of Practice called "The Community for Well-being in Every Classroom". This community constitutes faculty and staff committed to the promotion of teacher and student well-being in classrooms. 

Melissa was awarded the SENtastic Staff Award in 2023, in recognition of her caring for the well-being and diverse needs of students. 

In 2026, she was made a Senior Fellow of the Academy of Education Excellence.

Melissa is the Chairperson of BFT Friends of Hong Kong. This society supports the work of the Build Your Future Today Center in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Melissa and her family visit Cambodia every year and this enables Melissa to oversee the education development programs in the villages that BFT supports.

Melissa is a qualified yoga instructor.