Melanie Mcdonald
Associate Professor and Co-Chair
Management
Summary
Dr. Melanie McDonald is an Associate Professor and Co-Chair of the Management Department at New Jersey City University (NJCU). Born and raised in Jersey City, she is a proud first-generation scholar whose deep roots in the community inspire her commitment to student success.
With more than 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. McDonald is a dedicated educator, scholar, and academic leader who has made lasting contributions in teaching, administration, and program development. She has led initiatives in strategic planning, curriculum design, and student success across a range of learning environments, including online, hybrid, and multi-campus settings.
Dr. McDonald has built meaningful partnerships, managed complex budgets, and guided successful accreditation and assessment efforts. Her leadership is grounded in a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and she takes pride in ĂŰĚŇtving underserved and underrepresented student populations. Dr. McDonald’s engaging social media presence allows her to connect with people around the world, sharing positivity, inspiration, and meaningful insights.
An active scholar with a portfolio of peer-reviewed publications, Dr. McDonald continues to engage in research that informs her teaching and leadership. Known for her clear communication, collaborative spirit, and strategic vision, she works to strengthen academic programs, enhance institutional effectiveness, and create opportunities for students to thrive. Trusted, inclusive, and results-oriented, Dr. McDonald brings both heart and expertise to everything she does - helping students, colleagues, and institutions reach their highest potential.
Additional Information
Courses Taught:
Undergraduate
- Introduction to Business
- Life is Good Business
- Principles of Management
- Business Enterprise Applications
- Business Enterprise Applications (Business Honors)
- Business Information Systems
- Business Policy / Management Analytics
- Global Business
- Operations and Project Management
- Honors Seminar
- Hospitality Management Capstone
- Business Statistics
- Weight Training Methods
- Spinning
Graduate
- Transformational and Situational Leadership
- Behavioral Issues and Ethics in Management
- Health Administration Theory and Practice
- Health Informatics
Areas of Interest / Research:
Dr. McDonald’s professional interests span performance management, leadership styles, and the intersection of artificial intelligence and business strategy. She is particularly passionate about topics such as organizational change and innovation, diversity and inclusion, strategic innovation management, supply chain and logistics, corporate social responsibility, and the influence of social media on leadership and organizational success.
Selected Publications:
- “Spatial key performance indicators on the statewide ambulance service coverage of multiple regional classifications” with Lee, E, McDonald, M, Montgomery, W, O’Neill, E. (2021). Transactions in GIS. 25: 2125-2145.
- “Statewide ambulance coverage of a mixed region of urban, rural and frontier under travel time catchment areas” with Lee, E., McDonald, M., O’Neill, E., & Montgomery, W. (2021). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.18(5):2638.
- “Predicting oil production sites for planning road infrastructure: Trip generation using SIR epidemic model” with Lee, E., Chakraborty, D., & McDonald, M. (2021). Infrastructures.6 (2):15.
- “Pre-assignment of ambulance in urban areas: A case study of Jersey City” with Lee, E., De La Fuente, N., McDonald, M., & O’Neill, E. (2020). Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability, 15(3), 24-35;
- “Dynamic response systems of healthcare mask production to COVID-19: A case study of Korea” with Lee, E., Chen, Y.-Y., McDonald, M., O’Neill, E. (2020, May). Systems 2020, 8(2), 18;
- “Impact of social media on consumer buying patterns” with Donnellan, J., McDonald, M., Edmondson, M. (2020). International Journal of Marketing Studies, 12(3);