Melissa K Scanlan

Melissa K. Scanlan is the Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair in Water Policy and the Director of the Center for Water Policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. She is a Professor in the School of Freshwater Sciences and affiliated faculty at University of Wisconsin's Law School.

Scanlan is the founder of a variety of enterprises in the social economy. Infused with clear vision and longevity, she raised millions of dollars to capitalize these enterprises and designed their governance documents, establishing the mission, purpose, and day to day direction. She brings a deep understanding of starting and stewarding enterprises to work. The U.S. State Department awarded her a Fulbright Senior Scholar position in Spain in 2019 to pursue research about Spanish cooperatives that are sustainability leaders. Her book, Prosperity in the Fossil-Free Economy (Yale University Press, September 2021) compares Spanish and U.S. cooperatives to reveal insights about legal design for the triple bottom line.

Professor Scanlan brings an interdisciplinary approach to her work. She holds a BA in World Politics from the Catholic University of America, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.  She earned a Juris Doctorate and Master of Science in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from the University of California, Berkeley. She is licensed to practice law in Wisconsin.