Melanie Edwards will be joining the KU Hillel staff as the innovation and engagement associate. Edwards is a KU Hillel alumnus who held multiple internships and traveled on the leadership missions to Israel and Europe. She will join the Hillel staff in August.
“I could not think of a better way to give back to the organization that provided me with so much than to return as a staff member,” Edwards said.
After graduating from the University of Kansas in 2017 with a degree in journalism and Spanish, Edwards has spent the past year working in Israel as a Global Jewish Service Corps fellow for the Joint Distribution Committee.
As the innovation and engagement associate, Edwards will be participating in the Hillel International Springboard Fellowship where she will have the opportunity to connect with other Jewish professionals working at local Hillels around the country. Participants in the Springboard Cohort will create innovative student programming and receive professional training from experienced educators.
“As I leave Israel to begin my career back in the United States, I am confident working together with this talented group of Jewish professionals will help me gain new valuable skillsets that will help me to enhance the Jewish community at KU,” Edwards said.
Edwards will be joining returning staff members Executive Director Suzy Sostrin, Director of Development Michelle Cole, Rabbi and Senior Jewish Educator Neal Schuster and Program Director Leah Swartz.
“Melanie is the perfect addition to our team,” Sostrin said. “Based on her experience as a student leader at KU Hillel, we know Melanie will thrive and help us achieve our mission of developing Jewish adults and delivering the Jewish future.”