Location | Mission Briefing Center
Mellodee White is a Research Portfolio Manager for the International Space Station (ISS) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Working within the ISS Research Integration Office, she partners with scientists from around the world to help transform innovative ideas into spaceflight investigations. Her work spans experiment feasibility, payload acceptance, mission integration, and supporting astronauts as they conduct research in orbit. She collaborates closely with programs including the NASA Human Research Program, the International Space Station National Laboratory, and NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences community.
Mellodee supports the Human Health and Performance Contract (HHPC2) with KBR as a senior scientist. She has contributed to some of the most complex rodent research missions ever flown on the space station and regularly helps teams translate lessons learned into safer, more effective future operations. In 2024, her contributions were recognized with a NASA Silver Achievement Medal for excellence in teamwork, integrity, and mission impact.
Before joining NASA, Mellodee built her scientific career at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch, publishing research in infectious disease and reproductive biology.
A passionate advocate for STEM opportunity, Mellodee mentors students and early-career professionals, serves as a judge for regional science competitions, and frequently speaks about the various pathways into aerospace careers. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Oakland University and a master’s degree from University of Houston–Clear Lake. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Houston.
Drawing on her professional experience supporting research on the ISS, Mellodee’s emerging doctoral work examines how university leaders can partner with the aerospace community to broaden participation in STEM. Her research explores how institutions design programs, policies, and curricula that embed authentic space-research experiences into student pathways, and how leadership decisions influence who gains access to those opportunities. Through potential case studies of Texas universities with strong NASA connections and interviews with leaders, faculty, and students, she aims to identify practices that strengthen innovation while building a sustainable aerospace workforce.
