Melisa Tekin holds a BA in Urban Economics and Marketing, a BFA in Graphic Design, and is currently working towards her MFA in Design at Rutgers University. Melisa‘s design practice, Neighbors Studio, combines her various interests and background in architecture, urban studies, and social justice with design to build and maintain a compelling visual identity for her collaborators. Melisa‘s work is multidisciplinary and spans both print, exhibition and digital design.

In 2019, Melisa was named a Public Access Design Fellow with The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP), where she learned how to use design to make complex urban issues accessible. In 2021, Melisa was invited to serve on CUP’s Public Access Design Jury to help select CUP’s next round of collaborations.

Melisa is also an active member of Urban Design Forum, an organization that empowers professionals of diverse backgrounds, industries, and perspectives to investigate complex challenges in the built environment, study alternative approaches from cities around the world, and advance progressive strategies to build a more dynamic and democratic city.