The Melly Institute for Business, Innovation and Leadership
Inspired by a Legend. BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.
His vision – and a transformative $70 million gift – launched The Melly Institute for Business, Innovation and Leadership to prepare a new generation of bold thinkers and trailblazers.
At the Melly Institute, you’ll learn directly from industry leaders driving innovation across business and finance. With hands-on training, mentorship and real-world insight, students graduate with the confidence, experience and skills to thrive, whether entering public service, the workforce or pursuing graduate study.
The Centers
Designed to complement all majors including the newly created degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, the Melly Institute serves as the umbrella for three powerful centers:
- Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education
- Bozzuto Center for Entrepreneurship
- Centennial Center for Leadership
The Melly Institute strategically unifies these centers and then sharpens their focus to create a vibrant, career-centered ecosystem.
Career Support
A team of professional career counselors – ranked among the best in the nation – provides concierge-level support to guide you in identifying a career track that matches your skills and interests.
You’ll benefit from:
- A Guaranteed Internship Program that includes funding for unpaid or underpaid opportunities.
- A Professionals-in-Residence Program that brings some of the best minds in business, finance, marketing, technology, AI, data science and manufacturing to campus.
- Career treks that are offered every winter break to leading financial institutions on Wall Street and in Boston, to government agencies and NGOs through the Day on the Hill program in Washington, D.C., and to major media and entertainment companies in Los Angeles and NYC through the Behind the Scenes experience, give students opportunities to network with our alumni and parents.
Affiliated Majors and Minors
The Melly Institute is open to all students, regardless of major. Whether you’re studying economics, environmental science or English, the Institute supports your path into business. Certain academic departments, particularly those listed below, maintain a closer connection to the Melly Institute through complementary programming and shared areas of focus.
Business Management & Entrepreneurship
Computer Science
Data Analytics
Economics
Engineering (pre-professional programs with Dartmouth or Columbia)
Skills Training to Lead the Economy of the Future
The practical, hands-on skills required to thrive in today’s economy are always evolving – and the Melly Institute ensures you’re not just keeping up, but staying ahead.
Through career skill development and certification prep courses platforms covering today’s most in-demand topics including:
- Artificial intelligence
- Enterprise technology and software
- Data literacy
- Financial modeling and valuation
- Bloomberg Terminals
- Coding
- Project management
- Leadership
- Networking
These courses are designed by industry professionals and tailored to give students real-world capabilities that align with employer expectations.
Get Recognized with Digital Badges
After completing each training module, students earn verified digital badges through a leading platform for professional credentialing. This system ensures that every student - regardless of major – has the opportunity to build a career-ready toolkit, signal their achievements to employers, and confidently step into internships, interviews and full-time roles.
What’s a digital badge?
A digital badge is a verified certification you can display on your LinkedIn profile, résumé, email signature or digital portfolio to show potential employers the skills you’ve mastered.
Why does it matter?
These badges serve as proof of your proficiency in essential business tools and concepts, helping you stand out in competitive job markets.
How does it work?
Once you complete a course, you’ll receive a shareable badge that includes detailed information about the skills you learned, who certified it and how to verify its authenticity.
Industry Leaders
At the Melly Institute, you’ll learn directly from industry leaders driving innovation across business and finance. Through hands-on training, mentorship and real-world insight, students from every academic path gain the confidence, experience and skills to thrive — whether entering public service, the workforce or pursuing graduate study. All students, no matter their major, can participate in programming offered by the Melly Institute, which is designed to serve those interested in careers in business, innovation and leadership.
Professionals on Campus
Professional Communities That Build Futures
At the Melly Institute, students don’t just learn about industries – they immerse themselves in them.
Through a network of vibrant, pre-professional clubs, students gain early exposure to competitive fields, build valuable peer and alumni connections, and develop the leadership skills needed to stand out.
These clubs function as powerful micro-communities where students engage in real-world projects, attend exclusive events and connect directly with professionals across industries.
Explore Our Pre-Professional Clubs:
Analyze real-world markets, explore careers in banking, corporate finance and consulting, and compete in national stock pitch and case competitions. Network with alumni working at top firms like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Salomon Smith Barney.
Artificial Intelligence Society
Dive into the future of technology through workshops on machine learning, AI ethics and prompt engineering. Collaborate on coding challenges and applied AI projects, guided by faculty and tech-savvy alumni.
Investment Management Group
Manage real funds through a student-run investment portfolio. Gain hands-on experience with Bloomberg Terminals, valuation models and equity research under the mentorship of alumni in hedge funds and asset management.
Marketing & Advertising Collective
Explore the creative and strategic sides of brand building. Participate in marketing campaign simulations, content strategy challenges and guest speaker series with professionals from leading agencies and global brands.
Real Estate Society
Study commercial and residential real estate trends, financial modeling and development strategy. Tour live projects, meet real estate developers and brokers, and explore career pathways from investment to design.
Sports Management Club
Examine the business side of sports from marketing and sponsorship to operations and analytics. Engage with alumni working in pro sports, collegiate athletics and sports media.
Women in Business Club
This dynamic pre-professional community cultivates a powerful network of ambitious students, providing comprehensive mentorship, leadership development and hands-on opportunities to excel in the competitive business world. Through impactful workshops, exclusive speaker series and collaborative projects, it drives confidence, innovation and career readiness, preparing members to become trailblazers and leaders.
Mentorship That Makes a Difference
Each club is guided by a team of HWS faculty, staff and alumni mentors who bring industry insight, professional connections and personalized support. Whether you're exploring an interest or preparing for a specific career, these mentors help translate classroom learning into real-world opportunity.
HWS’ pre-professional communities are more than extracurriculars – they are career accelerators. Students emerge with professional networks, industry fluency and leadership experience that set them apart in graduate school applications, interviews and the workplace.
The Centers
At the heart of the Melly Institute are three nationally recognized centers, each with a distinct mission but united by a shared goal: to equip students with the skills, experiences and confidence to lead in a rapidly changing world.
Together, the Salisbury Center for Career Services, the Bozzuto Center for Entrepreneurship and the Centennial Center for Leadership form a powerful, integrated ecosystem. Whether students are exploring career paths, launching a venture or building leadership capacity, these centers provide tailored, high-impact opportunities that align with their interests and ambitions.
Each center offers a unique entry point into the Melly experience – and when combined, they ensure that every student graduates not only with a degree, but with real-world skills, industry exposure and a clear path forward.
|
Center |
Focus |
What Students Gain |
|---|---|---|
|
Career coaching, internships, job placement |
Personalized guidance, guaranteed internships, real-world exposure |
|
|
Innovation, startup support, entrepreneurial thinking |
Learn to pitch ideas, launch ventures, solve real-world problems |
|
|
Leadership development and training |
Grow as ethical, inclusive and impactful leaders |
The Melly Fellows
Peer Mentors. Student Leaders. Future Professionals.
Central to the Melly Institute’s student experience is a dynamic group of high-achieving, hand-selected student leaders known as The Melly Fellows. These students are ambassadors of the Institute’s mission, serving as peer mentors, program guides and role models for students engaging with the Melly ecosystem.
What Do Melly Fellows Do?
Peer Mentorship
Fellows support their peers through the career development process, offering advice on pre-professional clubs, skills training, résumés, interviews and making the most of Melly programming from day one.
Leadership in Action
As visible leaders on campus, Fellows help facilitate events, welcome guest professionals and collaborate directly with Melly Institute staff.
Program Navigation
With deep knowledge of the Institute’s offerings – from skill-building workshops to career treks – Melly Fellows help other students navigate opportunities that align with their goals.
Being selected as a Melly Fellow is both an honor and a responsibility. These students are chosen for their academic excellence, leadership potential and commitment to helping others succeed.
Questions & Answers
Is the Melly Institute only for students in certain majors?
All students no matter their major can participate in programming offered by the Melly Institute. It is designed to serve students interested in careers in business, innovation and leadership.
What’s the connection between the Melly Institute and the Melly Scholarship?
Both the Melly Institute and the Melly Scholarship have been made possible by the philanthropy of L. Thomas Melly ’52, L.H.D.’02 and Judith Melly L.H.D.’16.
The Melly Institute serves all students with programming and resources to give them a competitive advantage in careers in business, innovation and leadership.
The Melly Scholarship is Hobart and William Smith’s most prestigious merit award. Each year, 15–20 outstanding students are named Melly Scholars and awarded $46,000 annually in merit aid – totaling $184,000 over four years. Melly Scholars join a cohort of students mentored by the Executive Director of the Melly Institute.
What’s the difference between a Melly Fellow and a Melly Scholar?
- A Melly Fellow works in the Melly Institute providing peer mentorship and program guidance. Melly Fellows are selected by the Executive Director of the Melly Institute and a small hiring committee.
- A Melly Scholar is the recipient of HWS’ largest scholarship - $46,000 annually, totaling $184,000 over four years. Melly Scholars receive their merit aid at the time of acceptance to HWS. 15-20 Scholars will be chosen each year, starting with students entering HWS in the Fall of 2026. Scholars are selected by the Admissions Selection Committee.
- It is possible to be both a Melly Fellow and a Melly Scholar.
