Melissa Richards

Bio

Melissa Richards has served as the inaugural Administrative Services Manager (ASM) for the Neutron Sciences Directorate (NScD) and the Neutron Upgrades Project Office (NUPO) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 2020. With over 20 years of experience in administrative operations, customer service, and management, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective and efficient administrative support across NScD and NUPO.

In her role, Melissa optimizes workload distribution, trains and mentors administrative staff, and identifies professional development opportunities to enhance their skills and career growth. She also oversees key directorate administrative functions, ensuring seamless operations and continuous improvement.

Melissa joined ORNL in 2013 as an administrative assistant in NScD, later advancing to division administrative assistant in multiple divisions, including Chemical and Engineering Materials, Neutron Data Analysis and Visualization, and most recently, Computational Sciences and Engineering, before stepping into her current leadership role.

Melissa brings deep institutional knowledge of ORNL’s administrative policies, procedures, and systems, coupled with a strong background in office management and operational efficiency. She is committed to fostering a collaborative and well-supported administrative team that enhances the success of the directorate’s scientific mission.

Awards

• Certificate of Excellence in Collaboration at the Women's Leadership Award sponsored by the ORNL Women's Alliance Council, 2024
• Associate Trainer Certification from International Board of Certified Trainers, 2024
• UT-Battelle Awards Night – Mission Support by an Administrative Assistant, 2019