Melanie Lorek is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Human Relations at CUNY School of Professional Studies and Academic Director of Interdisciplinary Studies. Born in East Berlin, she studied Social Sciences at Humboldt University in Germany before earning her PhD in Sociology from the CUNY Graduate Center. She has been teaching at CUNY SPS since 2011; first as adjunct faculty, and since 2020, as a full-time faculty member. She teaches a wide range of courses and is especially passionate about helping students develop research skills and data literacy through courses in research methods.

In her scholarship, she focuses on the relevance and commemoration of socialist and post-socialist societies, particularly in East Germany. More recently, she has also been engaged in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, focusing on online education and its impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.