Meleah Ladd, PhD
Administrative Assistant, Church Leadership Center
About Meleah
Meleah has served in various capacities, including grants manager, researcher, guest lecturer, educator, and administrator, primarily in academic settings. Additionally, she has experience in insurance premium auditing, music librarianship, performing arts, hospitality, and rigorously exacting factory production. Meleah brings a unique blend of analytical rigor, creative insight, and organizational skills to her position.
Why I am at AMBS
I am pleased to have joined AMBS, an organization that states, commits to, and acts on its values, and demonstrates this in part by the way it states, commits to, and acts on the value it places on the people and relationships that comprise it.
What I do at AMBS
I currently serve in the Church Leadership Center, supporting the varied ministries growing under its auspices, especially the Journey Program, the Short Course offerings, the Practical Leadership Training Modules, the CLC Membership Program, and the Pastors and Leaders annual event.
How might students expect to interact with you?
I am a point of contact for students involved with Journey, Short Courses, and/or Practical Leadership Training. At breaktimes during the day, I can often be found reading in the library or the courtyards (depending on weather conditions).
Publications
- Ladd, K. L., Basu, J., Demarinis, V., Ok, U., and Zangari, W., Ladd, M. L. (Eds). (2025 in press). The Cambridge Handbook of the International Psychology of Religion. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England.
- Ladd, K.L., Ladd, M. L. & Sahai, N. (2018). Conceptualizing “Prayer” for an East–West Dialogue and Beyond. Psychological Studies 63, 163–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-016-0380-8
- Spilka, E. & Ladd, M. L. (2013). A Brief Introduction to Bernard Spilka. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. 23. 258-260. 10.1080/10508619.2013.795796.
- Ladd, K. L., & Ladd, M. L. (2012). Religious / Spiritual: Differences in substance or style? Horizonte – Revista Pistis & Praxis: Teologia e Pastoral, 10(28), 1280-1294.
- Ladd, K. L., Vreugdenhil, S., Ladd, M. L., & Cook, C. (2012). Interpersonal conversations and prayers: Differences of content and attachment functions. Journal of Communication and Religion, 35(3), 295-311.
- Ladd, K. L. & Ladd, M. L. (2010). [Review of the book How God changes your brain: Breakthrough findings from a leading neuroscientist]. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 20(3), 219-222.
- Ladd, K. L., Ladd, M. L., Ashbaugh, P., Trnka, D., Harner, J., St. Pierre, K., & Swanson, T. (2007). Inward, outward, upward prayer and personal character. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, special section on Positive Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality, 18, 209-231.
- Ladd, K. L., Ladd, M. L., Harner, J., Swanson, T, Metz, T., St. Pierre, K., & Trnka, D. T. (2007). Inward, outward, and upward prayer: Links to personality (Big Five). Archiv für Religionspsychologie 49, 151-175.
- Bradford, M.L., Dehmlow, M., Guimaraes, A., Ladd, M., Loghry, P., Simons, M. Education and Electronic Resources Librarianship: How Library School Programs are Meeting the Needs of the Electronic Resources Librarian Position.
Awards and Certifications
- Certificate in Insurance Premium Auditing, PAAS Basic Training Course. Premium Audit Advisory Service [PAAS], New York, NY (1993)
- Certificate in General Insurance. Insurance Institute of America [IIA], Malvern, Pennsylvania (1992)
- Library Recognition Award, Individual – University of Notre Dame Libraries (2006)
- Omicron Delta Kappa – National Leadership Honorary (1989)
- TRIAD Club Scholarship for Academic Achievement (1989)
- Tau Mu Sigma – Heidelberg College Music Honorary (1988)
- Alpha Lambda Delta – National Scholastic Honor Society for Freshman (1987)
- Garver Memorial Prize – Writing Award (1987)