Dr. Melanie Wilson-Lawson

Dr. Melanie Wilson-Lawson, affectionately known as “Doc Mel, ” began her professional journey as a public-school teacher in the Houston Independent School District in the early 1990s. She later shifted to research & managing social and behavioral medicine projects at the University of Houston, before transitioning to university-level teaching at Texas Southern University (TSU) in 1998.

Over the years, Doc Mel has contributed to numerous special projects, including serving as a public health advisor for the City of Houston’s first African-American Mayor Lee P. Brown, who also served on her doctoral dissertation committee. Her research endeavors extended to the Greater Houston Women’s Foundation, and she held academic appointments such as HIV/AIDS Orientation & Professional Education Program Faculty Liaison at TSU and Campus Project Coordinator for the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education’s “Elimination of Health Disparities Project.” Doc Mel’s work has earned her several accolades, including a Certificate of Congressional Recognition as a Golden Volunteer from the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and a Certificate of Appreciation from State Senator Rodney Ellis for her contributions to youth summer camps in Acres Homes. She has been featured in Who’s Who Amon America’s Teachers (Seventh Edition), the 26 Edition of Who’s Who of American Women, and the Empire Who’s Who of Women in Education (2006/2007 Honors Edition). This Montgomery, Alabama native has skillfully balanced her academic career with family life and volunteer commitments. Her involvement in public service includes being an elected official as a 2008 National Delegate to the Democratic National Convention representing Texas Senate District 11, serving on President Barack Obama’s Public Policy Committee, and she served as an influential committee member on the Obama Campaign’s Regional Finance Committee. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc. (Missouri City Chapter) and Jack & Jill of America, Inc. (Houston Chapter), where she chaired the 2008 Debutante Ball. Doc Mel has also been an Ambassador for the American Heart Association’s “Power to End Stroke Campaign, ” a Board Member for the “Recipe For Success” Non-Profit Organization that afforded her the opportunity to visit The White House, and participated in Houston First Lady Andrea White’s “We’re All Neighbors” outreach program.

In academia, she has held significant leadership roles, including Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs & Student Services for the College of Continuing Education and Executive Director for the Office of Continuing Education at TSU. Over the years, she’s served as a Program Director for the Master’s in Healthcare Administration Program at TSU, as a Graduate School Representative for numerous Doctoral Students’ Dissertations and as the Faculty Student Advisor for a Student Healthcare Administration Organization. She has contributed to scholarly works, authoring a chapter in a book entitled “Prison Privatization: The Many Facets of a Controversial Industry” (2012, Volume II, Chapter 6 – Private Prisons & Healthcare: The Social implications). Doc Mel’s media presence has surpassed hundreds of thousands of listeners/viewers hosting the popular podcast ‘Actuality Talk!’ on platforms such as Apple and Spotify, as well as on her talk show ‘Doc Mel Talks’ that aired on Roku’s Mystic Circle TV Channel. She’s been featured as a life-coach on College Hill: Celebrity Edition & The Portia Show in Atlanta. Beyond academia and media, she has also worked as a life-coach to strengthen character among players in the Professional Player Development Program for the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Notably, Doc Mel was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work in 2002. She also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry as a member of the first Honors Institute Freshman Class from the historic TexasSouthern University, where she was honored with the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award.