Melissa Geist

Melissa Geist is a firm believer in creative thinking and interdisciplinary communication and cooperation, especially when it comes to nursing and engineering students.

Geist has earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry, a master’s degree in both education and nursing, and a doctorate degree in science education/chemistry. She settled at Tech based on the university’s commitment to its students and excellence in teaching.

In her role as a nursing professor, Geist endeavors to engage students in the classroom and through intensive project-based study abroad programs. She recently helped lead a service learning trip to Belize where nursing and engineering students worked together to begin developing sustainable relationships with villages in desperate need of medical and environmental assistance.

Her favorite part of her profession is working with the students. She says that, “taking them to primitive villages and throwing them into situations where they have to really dig deep to persevere,”is something she enjoys witnessing. She loves to see her students work in teams, interact, and communicate with each other across different disciplines.

Geist is a self-described people person and says that she enjoys learning as much as she can from those around her. She draws on her complex background in chemistry and physics, nursing, and teaching to fuel her ideas and further Tech’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.

“I love moving students out of their comfort zone, forcing them to figure things out and fail sometimes,” said Geist. “Every success I have had has come after a spectacular failure – I want them to know how to move on and get better.