Melissa Yarczower is an assistant professor in residence of early childhood and early childhood special education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She earned her Ph.D. in special education with a concentration in early childhood/early childhood special education from UNLV. Prior to her current role, she spent 12 years as a licensed early childhood/early childhood special education teacher in D.C Public Schools in Washington D.C, Alexandria City Public Schools in Northern Virginia, and in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. In addition to teaching experience, she was an early childhood special education instructional coach in the Clark County School District where she coached EC/ECSE teachers, delivered professional development and worked with a variety of stakeholders to advocate for students with disabilities. These classroom and coaching experiences deeply inform her teaching and bring practical, field-based insight to her university students. They also serve as the foundation for her research, which focuses on teacher preparation pathways, inclusive fieldwork, and preparing pre-service teachers to support the social-emotional development of young children.

She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in alternate and accelerated routes to licensure programs. She currently serves as the coordinator of Early Childhood Fieldwork and is also the coordinator of the Early Childhood Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program. She is committed to improving teacher preparation and professional development in early childhood education, with a focus on inclusive practices and supporting young children with disabilities. Her research interests include teacher preparation and licensure pathways, inclusive fieldwork experiences, and supporting pre-service teachers in implementing evidence-based strategies to promote social-emotional development and address challenging behaviors in early learning settings. She contributes to the field through publications, conference presentations, and service roles, including as coordinator of the Early Childhood Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program and as a member of the Publications and Products Advisory Committee for the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Early Childhood.