Melissa Bell is the vice president for academic affairs and student success at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. At CPE, she oversees policies and processes for academic program approval, review of existing programs, transfer, and academic readiness.  In addition, she leads statewide efforts to improve student success with initiatives focused on advising redesign, meeting the needs of adult learners, and implementing the Kentucky Graduate Profile which is a list of career-focused learning outcomes each graduate should demonstrate as part of their college curriculum. She joined CPE in 2006 as a senior associate and has served as director of academic affairs, assistant vice president and associate vice president before becoming vice president in 2019.  She holds a Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration and a master’s degree from the university’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.