April 2024

I cannot thank you enough for the time, effort, and care you put into this project. Working with you was so easy – truly, you are a joy!
Sophie P., Duquesne University
Project: The Campus Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Network Consultation Guide

June 2022

I cannot thank you enough for working so quickly and diligently to help us get this thing off the ground.  I truly appreciate your expertise, professionalism, and dedication!  I couldn’t have pulled this off without you!

Melody M., CSO
Cognitive Harmony Technologies


January 5, 2021

I have started to mail out copies of my CD and am receiving RAVE reviews on your design work. People LOVE the cover and the packaging. So do I. Thank you again.

Marilyn Thomas 


Oct 23, 2020

Thanks again for the great work on the diagrams for the Gen Ed presentation this week! I continue to be impressed by how well you translate our vision/wants/needs into creative work so quickly.

Abby S.
Assistant Dean of Communications, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences


March 13, 2020

Over the past few years, the Dalcroze Society of America has contracted several jobs with Melissa and she has always delivered above and beyond our expectations. If you’re looking for a highly efficient, highly effective, highly professional, and wonderfully creative graphic designer, look no further. You will be pleased with the results.

Bill Bauer
Executive Director at Dalcroze Society of America


February 4, 2020

Melissa Neely is a talented freelance graphic designer who helped our research group at Carnegie Mellon University develop a logo and website strategy for an upcoming conference. Melissa made the process fun and engaging. She helped us think through what we really wanted to convey and we were excited by the new designs in each iterative cycle of feedback. The design process moved along quickly and, honestly, it was hard to pick just one path with so many excellent designs. I would warmly welcome the opportunity to work with Melissa again in the future.

Lori Holt
Professor in the Department of Psychology and the CMU Neuroscience Institute
Auditory Cognitive Neuroscientist


February 4, 2020

Melissa is a great graphic designer and beyond. She has designed many dozens of spec sheets, brochures, business cards, signs, banner ads, and a website, for my firm & clients. Her turnaround is very fast and her costs are very reasonable. I also appreciate that when I send her a job with more complex instructions or technical content, she nails it. She has also assisted my consulting firm with more technical printing projects. I recommend her highly.

David Shiller
Product & Business Development For The Advanced Lighting Industry

Alexandria, Pennsylvania


August 15, 2018

I can’t thank you enough for your collaborative, creative, and hard-working approach to this project. You’ve been so easy to work with and you’ve come up with a dynamite campaign. I’m really excited for our musicians and audience members to see it!

William White, Music Director & Principal Conductor
Orchestra Seattle | Seattle Chamber Singers


May 9, 2018 

Thank you so much for your great design for Cello Fest! It really creates a unified and professional look for the festival.

Nicole Myers, Pittsburgh Cello Fest


May 7, 2018 

Melissa Neely is one of those rare designers who make every project — as well as the process behind them — better than you could ever anticipate. I have used her as a freelance graphic designer for more than two years to create annual reports, high-stake presentations, handouts, logos, graphics, and countless other things. When I see even her initial concepts, I always get excited. She is also fast and efficient and possesses a keen eye for details that helps all of our projects, big and small, move at a rapid pace. I would be lost without Melissa — because, beyond her standout design capabilities, she’s friendly, fun, and a blast to work with.

Shilo Rea, Director of Public Relations, CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences

April 2023

Abundant thanks to you Kendra and Melissa. You have worked marvelously together and produced a book with which Elsie would have been elated. You have both made it beautiful and more accessible & readable. My dream has finally come true.

Jon Lloyd
Project: First Wife: A Historical Novel by Elsie Chamberlain Carroll


June 2022

I cannot thank you enough for working so quickly and diligently to help us get this thing off the ground.  I truly appreciate your expertise, professionalism, and dedication!  I couldn’t have pulled this off without you!

Melody Molinaro, CSO
Cognitive Harmony Technologies


January 5, 2021

I have started to mail out copies of my CD and am receiving RAVE reviews on your design work. People LOVE the cover and the packaging. So do I. Thank you again.

Marilyn Thomas 


Oct 23, 2020

Thanks again for the great work on the diagrams for the Gen Ed presentation this week! I continue to be impressed by how well you translate our vision/wants/needs into creative work so quickly.

Abby S.
Assistant Dean of Communications, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences


March 13, 2020

Over the past few years, the Dalcroze Society of America has contracted several jobs with Melissa and she has always delivered above and beyond our expectations. If you’re looking for a highly efficient, highly effective, highly professional, and wonderfully creative graphic designer, look no further. You will be pleased with the results.

Bill Bauer
Executive Director at Dalcroze Society of America


February 4, 2020

Melissa Neely is a talented freelance graphic designer who helped our research group at Carnegie Mellon University develop a logo and website strategy for an upcoming conference. Melissa made the process fun and engaging. She helped us think through what we really wanted to convey and we were excited by the new designs in each iterative cycle of feedback. The design process moved along quickly and, honestly, it was hard to pick just one path with so many excellent designs. I would warmly welcome the opportunity to work with Melissa again in the future.

Lori Holt
Professor in the Department of Psychology and the CMU Neuroscience Institute
Auditory Cognitive Neuroscientist


February 4, 2020

Melissa is a great graphic designer and beyond. She has designed many dozens of spec sheets, brochures, business cards, signs, banner ads, and a website, for my firm & clients. Her turnaround is very fast and her costs are very reasonable. I also appreciate that when I send her a job with more complex instructions or technical content, she nails it. She has also assisted my consulting firm with more technical printing projects. I recommend her highly.

David Shiller
Product & Business Development For The Advanced Lighting Industry

Alexandria, Pennsylvania


August 15, 2018

I can’t thank you enough for your collaborative, creative, and hard-working approach to this project. You’ve been so easy to work with and you’ve come up with a dynamite campaign. I’m really excited for our musicians and audience members to see it!

William White, Music Director & Principal Conductor
Orchestra Seattle | Seattle Chamber Singers


May 9, 2018 

Thank you so much for your great design for Cello Fest! It really creates a unified and professional look for the festival.

Nicole Myers, Pittsburgh Cello Fest


May 7, 2018 

Melissa Neely is one of those rare designers who make every project — as well as the process behind them — better than you could ever anticipate. I have used her as a freelance graphic designer for more than two years to create annual reports, high-stake presentations, handouts, logos, graphics, and countless other things. When I see even her initial concepts, I always get excited. She is also fast and efficient and possesses a keen eye for details that helps all of our projects, big and small, move at a rapid pace. I would be lost without Melissa — because, beyond her standout design capabilities, she’s friendly, fun, and a blast to work with.

Shilo Rea, Director of Public Relations, CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences

March 20, 2015 

As we wind down in final preparations for what promises to be another successful SATURN conference next week, I want to acknowledge three staff members whose skill, effort, commitment, and dedication exceed all reasonable expectations—Tamara Marshall-Keim, Melissa Neely, and Michele Falce. As a result of some changes we made to the technical program this year, the level of complexity in the program configuration increased, and producing the required documentation of the program was a more challenging task than ever before. Both Tamara and Melissa worked tirelessly during workday hours and at night and on weekends to make sure that everything was correct and flawless, interacting with Michele, who seemed also to be available 24/7 in her role as project manager for SATURN. Their attention to detail, relentless patience with the daunting volume of changes, the spirit of customer service, and endurance has been inspiring. So I am happy for this opportunity to sing the praises of the unsung heroes of SATURN 2015. Thanks, Tamara, Melissa, and Michele!

Bill Pollak,
SEI Communication and Transition Manager,
 Software Solutions Division


March 2015: www.linkedin.com

Melissa Neely is a very skilled designer who knows how to create graphics and documents that enhance the reader experience. This is a critical skill in the field of software and cybersecurity where the documents and graphics that Melissa creates help our customers in the Department of Defense make better use of software and cybersecurity research. In the 8 years that I have worked with her, she has never once missed a deadline. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Melissa is just a very nice person. All of these traits combined make her an asset to any project.

Heidi Price Brayer,
Writer/Editor, Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute


October 27, 2014

I wanted you to be aware that we really appreciate our interactions with the Design Group, specifically Melissa and Klaus! We find they have a professional, caring work ethic. This has been especially clear this past month—and their patience a particular virtue—as we struggled to establish a charge string for the IEEE Computer Society/SEI Watts S. Humphrey Software Process Achievement Award. Throughout, Klaus and Melissa have been helpful and pleasant to work with!!

Appreciatively,
Michael D. Konrad,
Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute


November 10, 2014 

I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize the above and beyond contributions of Melissa Neely in support of the Fall 2014 Research Review. This is the second year Melissa has supported the Research Review and her contributions directly contributed to the success of the event.

Melissa contributed directly to the below-listed items: Event graphics for web, print, and presentation use, Event Print Materials, Research Review Booklet, Posters, Signage, Badges, Table tents, Agenda, Attendee Information one-pager, Interfacing with the campus print shop to ensure all materials were delivered on time

Melissa created the professional image that our print materials conveyed to our visitors. She performs her work in a professional manner and handles multiple assignments on tight deadlines with ease. On more than one occasion, Melissa extended her workday and workweek to ensure that the process of developing materials was accomplished on time and without a hitch. Melissa takes her responsibilities seriously and never complained, even when working with short deadlines. It is not too much to say that we would not have presented the image we did in the Research Review without her knowledge, skills, perseverance, and experience.

Palma Buttles-Valdez, Ph.D.,
Manager, Special Projects,
Senior Member Technical Staff, Software Engineering Institute


2009 Nomination for AJ Award

Melissa Neely is truly the unsung hero of the SEI. Her capable hands touch and mold every major print piece that the SEI produces each year. Her ability to take mountains of raw information and sculpt them into pieces as complex as the Year in Review, the SEI Course Catalog, the CERT annual report, and the SEPG Final Program bare the mark of a true artist and designer. She treats smaller pieces with the same passion and eye for detail as she does our most complex and difficult pieces.

David Gregg
Software Engineering Institute