Melissa Smith, Ph.D., is a Staff User Experience Researcher and manager at Google, leading research for the YouTube Music Artist & Industry team, where she leads research to improve the artist and industry experience across YouTube's various surfaces. Previously, she held roles working on developing next-gen gaming experiences for Stadia, Google's cloud-based gaming platform, improving YouTube creator monetization, and advancing the video watching experience for the YouTube mobile app and desktop site.
Melissa is the first FIRST® alum on the Board, having participated as a student (FIRST® LEGO® League and FIRST® Robotics Competition) and actively volunteered in various roles for the past 21 years. Currently, Melissa is a Regional and Championship-level Head Referee and part of the Greater San Francisco Region planning committees. She was the 2018 FIRST Inspire Gala Evelyn Kamen "Rising Star" Award Recipient and the 2020 San Francisco Regional Volunteer of the Year Award recipient.
Melissa holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and a Ph.D. in Human Factors & Applied Cognitive Psychology from George Mason University.