In This Story
Melissa Perry, ScD, MHS, Dean of George Mason University’s College of Public Health, will graduate this spring with her Costello MBA—her third graduate degree, earned while serving as a full-time dean, raising two children, and leading one of the largest and fastest-growing public health programs in the region.
On its face, it’s a personal milestone—a story of resilience, grit, and lifelong learning. But it’s also something more: a symbol of the evolving nature of higher education leadership and the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration in a complex and rapidly changing world.
At 59, with decades of academic leadership under her belt, Perry didn’t need another degree. But she wanted one. Specifically, she wanted the tools to amplify the mission of public health through a deeper understanding of business strategy, finance, and systems thinking. And she wanted to walk in the shoes of her students—to experience the intensity, vulnerability, and growth that comes with sitting on the other side of the classroom.
“I pursued an MBA not because I was preparing to leave public health,” Perry said, “but because I wanted to lead it better.”
A Student by Night, a Dean by Day
Perry began her MBA in 2019 at George Washington University, taking synchronous online courses while working full time as a department chair. The demands of remote learning were immediate and intense. Asynchronous coursework—where material is delivered without live instruction—proved especially challenging.
“I discovered quickly that I learn best through discussion and connection,” she said. “Asynchronous formats made it harder to stay engaged, and with everything else I was juggling, I knew I needed a structure that mirrored a traditional classroom experience.”
When Perry transferred into George Mason’s MBA program in the Costello College of Business, she opted for in-person courses whenever possible. She found herself immersed in lively evening classes that offered the structure, energy, and peer interaction she craved—after full days spent leading faculty meetings, mentoring students, and managing the complex operations of a growing college.
Her children were just 7 and 12 when she began the program. And while her days stretched from early morning to late night, she credits her husband’s steadfast support with helping her stay focused and grounded. “He was my rock,” she said. “He kept everything running smoothly at home and made sure I had the space and encouragement to keep going.”
The tech demands were also no small feat. Leading a college through pandemic-era digital transformations while simultaneously keeping up with group chats, shared documents, Zoom sessions, and collaborative MBA tools made multitasking a full-time art form. “I was toggling between college-wide dashboards and team Slack messages,” Perry recalled. “There were moments I wondered how many tabs one person could have open at once.”
But through it all, she stayed present—and determined.
Training the Next Generation of Public Health Leaders
While navigating her Costello MBA, Perry brought to the classroom more than just executive experience—she brought the insight of someone who has trained thousands of students over the course of a 35-year career. As a professor, mentor, and principal investigator, she has led a successful public health laboratory that has served as a training ground for cadres of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.
Her passion for mentorship and education has been central to her career. From the laboratory bench to the lecture hall to the boardroom, Perry has devoted her professional life to building up others, equipping them with the skills and confidence to lead in the public health field.
“Watching students evolve into independent thinkers and leaders has always been the most rewarding part of my work,” she said. “Taking on the role of student again reminded me just how transformative that experience can be.”
Blending Mission and Metrics
A scientist by training—with a Doctor of Science and Master of Health Science from Johns Hopkins—Perry has long been grounded in data, rigor, and public service. But as she stepped into broader leadership roles, she saw firsthand the gaps that emerge when great ideas meet operational realities.
“Public health professionals are exceptional at solving complex problems,” she said. “But we need fluency in the language of business to scale those solutions—whether we’re running health departments, nonprofits, academic institutions, or startups.”
Her MBA program provided the missing pieces: advanced financial modeling, strategic planning, operational systems, marketing frameworks. It wasn’t about abandoning her mission—it was about making it sustainable. It also pushed her to think differently about impact.
“In business school, you learn how to think in terms of value creation,” she said. “In public health, we think in terms of lives improved. When you combine those perspectives, you unlock entirely new ways of approaching social good.”
Forging Cross-College Collaboration at George Mason
Perry brought that mindset with her to George Mason University when she was named the inaugural dean of the College of Public Health. Almost immediately, she began building bridges—not just between faculty and students, but across disciplines and colleges.
One of her earliest initiatives was to host the leadership team from George Mason’s Costello College of Business. She invited them into public health classrooms and simulation labs, not just to showcase what the College of Public Health was building, but to spark conversations about shared purpose, complementary strengths, and collaborative potential.
“There’s no real daylight between our missions,” Perry said. “The business of health—workforce, sustainability, innovation—requires both of us at the table.”
That cross-college partnership is emblematic of Perry’s approach to leadership: not siloed, but integrated; not transactional, but transformational. As she often notes, the great challenges of our time—mental health, health equity, workforce development, aging populations—demand new models of education and action that cross traditional academic boundaries.
The Full Circle Moment
In a meaningful twist, Perry’s MBA will be conferred by the dean of the Costello College of Business, Ajay Vinzé—her colleague, collaborator, and friend. It’s more than ceremonial. It’s a symbol of the university’s vision for a more collaborative future and a celebration of the value that comes from interdisciplinary leadership.
It’s also deeply personal. Perry began her MBA not to prove anything to anyone, but because she believed it would stretch her—and it did. Now, as she returns to her students, faculty, and staff with fresh skills and a wider lens, she does so with renewed energy and imagination.
Redefining What a Student—and a Leader—Looks Like
There’s power in this story for students, faculty, alumni, and staff. Perry’s path redefines what it means to be a student—not someone just beginning their journey, but someone who is always learning. And it reframes what it means to be a leader—not someone who has all the answers, but someone willing to ask new questions.
It also reminds us that careers, like learning, are nonlinear. They loop, stretch, and evolve. They make space for change. They’re allowed to be audacious.
Perry’s story is a George Mason story: grounded in access, elevated by ambition, and fueled by the belief that knowledge and community are transformative forces.
Looking Ahead
Now equipped with the perspectives of both scientist and strategist, Perry is turning her attention to what’s next. Her goals include advancing immersive technologies in public health education, strengthening interdisciplinary research, and positioning George Mason’s College of Public Health among the nation’s top programs.
But one thing will remain constant: her belief in people—students, colleagues, and communities—as the drivers of health and change.
“At the end of the day,” she says, “what matters most is that we’re helping others find their path, live with purpose, and grow into the leaders the world needs. That’s what this degree was about for me. And that’s what Mason is all about.”