Dr. Melanie Hwalek

Biography

Melanie Hwalek received her Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology with a minor in Research Design Methodology from Wayne State University. Currently, she serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Social Program Evaluators & Consultants, Inc. (SPEC Associates), a non-profit organization focused on program evaluation and process improvement, based in downtown Detroit, Michigan. With over 30 years of experience, Melanie has conducted program evaluations ranging from small assessments for grassroots human service organizations to large-scale, multi-state evaluations for national organizations and foundations. Her work encompasses a wide array of topic areas, including early childhood education, youth development, substance abuse prevention and treatment, community-based long-term care, elder abuse and neglect, online communities of practice, and higher education policy changes. She is a past Board member of the American Evaluation Association and the Michigan Association for Evaluation. Additionally, Melanie has served as Chair of the Independent Consulting Topical Interest Group and as a member of the Cultural Competence Statement Dissemination Workgroup of the American Evaluation Association. She holds the Credentialed Evaluator designation from the Canadian Evaluation Society.

Research Interests