Dr. Melanie R. Berry, PsyD

Clinical Psychologist | Early Childhood Innovator | Non-profit Leader

I’m a clinical psychologist by training with over 15 years of experience working to improve outcomes for children and families facing adversity. My career has spanned direct service, academic research, and nonprofit leadership—always with a focus on equity, science-based innovation, and meaningful impact.

I began my career providing community-based services to children and families, then moved into applied research at the Fisher Stress Neurobiology and Prevention Lab at the University of Oregon, where I helped develop and test innovative interventions grounded in developmental science. At the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, I directed two major initiatives: one supporting early childhood innovators and the other focused on developing novel measures of stress and resilience in young children.

I bring strengths in strategic planning, team leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and translating complex science into actionable guidance. I’m particularly skilled at building and stewarding partnerships, managing complex initiatives, and leading high-performing, mission-driven teams.

I’m now seeking opportunities where I can apply these skills in nonprofit leadership or philanthropy—especially roles that support children and families, promote equity, and help translate knowledge into practice and systems-level change.

Education

I hold a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) from the PGSP–Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.