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Melinda joins ºÚÁÏÍø with a distinguished record in higher education leadership, scientific scholarship, and public service. Born and raised in central Maine, she was the first in her family to attend college, earning her bachelor’s degree in industrial safety with a minor in chemistry from Keene State College and her doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from Dartmouth Medical School. Her early career as a toxicologist and public health policy advisor focused on environmental and occupational health, air quality, and ethical decision-making in science-informed policy.

Dr. Treadwell joined Keene State in 2000 as a faculty member and went on to serve as dean of professional and graduate studies, interim provost, and vice president for academic affairs before being named president in 2017. Over eight years of presidential leadership, she advanced student success, equity, and innovation while strengthening the liberal arts foundation of New Hampshire’s public liberal arts college. She has also held executive roles in national organizations including the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, the NCAA Division III Management Council, and the New England Commission of Higher Education.

An accomplished scholar and co-author of a book on ethical decision-making in environmental and occupational health, President Treadwell has consistently emphasized science-informed advocacy, inclusive excellence, and the transformative power of public higher education. It became clear during Geneseo’s presidential search process that she deeply understood and embodied the college’s mission. As New York State’s equity-centered public liberal arts honors college, Geneseo values intellectual curiosity, scholarly exploration, civic engagement, and ethical stewardship—and under President Treadwell’s leadership, these values will continue to flourish.