Melanie Agustin has served as the office manager in the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department since 2018. She is currently a graduate student at Old Dominion 91短视频 (ODU). She is expected to complete a master's degree in counseling with an emphasis on clinical mental health in December 2021.
As the office manager for CEE, she is responsible for managing the overall operation of the department. Her expertise includes project management, business performance, and compliance. Additionally, she supervises staff, graduate, and undergraduate students working in the department office and lab spaces. Her notable initiatives include establishing department standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with college and university policies.
Determined to help students, Melanie is always willing to assist faculty, staff, and students. Her willingness to go the extra mile is commendable. She believes "student success is a necessity for the wellness of our BCET and ODU Community. Student success means we are doing our share to foster their growth and development."
Her family and friends all have ties to ODU. Her brother, Ray, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, her mother, Norma, with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and husband, Emil, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Information Systems and Technology. A Hampton Roads local, she has been serving communities through her volunteer work for non-profit organizations.
Before joining ODU, Melanie worked with LifeNet Health's Institute of Regenerative Medicine and with Operation Smile with its Co-founders, Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee. As part of the Office of the Founders, she served on medical missions, and navigated patient care with hospitals and medical professionals for the organization's Domestic and World Care Program. She is most proud of working on the team that established Operation Smile's Global Headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
During her tenure at Operation Smile, she has traveled across continents and met many patients worldwide, but one made a lasting impression on her, the need for integrative care. While caring for her mother, a cancer warrior, she realized the importance of collaborative care from mental health to nutrition. Patient advocacy will also be part of her in promoting health and wellness for patients and caregivers.