HWS News
29 September 2026 Pamela Young Named Executive Director of The Melly Institute
Young will lead the Institute as it expands experiential learning and career-readiness opportunities.
Hobart and William Smith welcomes Pamela Young, Ph.D., as executive director of The Melly Institute for Business, Innovation and Leadership. Young, who joined HWS this summer, is leading the Institute’s efforts to expand opportunities for students to connect their academic experiences with leadership development, career preparation and learning beyond the classroom.
“Pamela brings a deep understanding of how to create meaningful connections between what students learn and how they apply that learning in the world,” says Associate Vice President of Outcomes & The Melly Institute Brandi Ferrara. “Her experience across experiential learning, global education and institutional strategy makes her an exciting addition to HWS as we build The Melly Institute and expand the ways our students prepare for what comes next.”
Young has more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education and international nonprofit organizations. Before coming to HWS, she served as director of Academic Strategic Plan Implementation in Syracuse University’s Division of Academic Affairs, where she helped develop a university-wide framework for experiential learning and collaborated with academic leaders to advance initiatives focused on student success.
Previously, Young served as director of Community Engagement and Economic Development at the University of Alabama, where she developed service-learning, leadership, study abroad and community partnership programs that expanded opportunities for hundreds of students.
Her career also includes leadership roles with international organizations including Plan International, CARE USA and Oxfam. In those roles, she led education, humanitarian and social development initiatives across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East.
An educator and mentor, Young has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, nonprofit management, ethics and first-year transition. Throughout her career, she has focused on helping students connect academic learning with meaningful experiences and develop the skills and perspectives to address complex challenges.
Young holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from Colby College. She is currently pursuing an MBA at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.
