Melissa Bass is Assistant Professor of Public Policy Leadership at the University of Mississippi. Her current research focuses on national service and citizenship, which is explored in depth in her forthcoming book, The Politics and Civics of National Service: Lessons from the CCC, VISTA, and AmeriCorps. Other scholarly interests include social welfare and education policy, the policymaking process and American political development, all approached with a focus on civic engagement. She previously worked for the University of Wisconsin-Extension 4-H program and the University of Minnesota’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship, where she coordinated their youth and citizenship initiatives. She is the author of Public Adventures, the national 4-H citizenship curriculum; Making the Rules: A Guidebook for Young People Who Intend to Make a Difference, third ed.; and By the People: An AmeriCorps Citizenship and Service Training Guide, first ed. She has also worked as Assistant Professor of Politics and Government at the University of Puget Sound, as the managing editor of the Civic Practices Network, and as a program instructor for the Close Up Foundation. She has a Ph.D. in Politics from Brandeis University and M.A. in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota.