Her fields of interest include the history of racial production in the United States, slavery and emancipation, nineteenth century American culture and social history, and nineteenth century African American history. She is the author of Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and Race in New England, 1789-1860 (Cornell, 1998). She has received several awards, among them a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and has reviewed numerous books by colleagues in her field. Professor Melish is actively involved in public history and education, and to that end has served as a consultant historian to the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice and to the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. She has also been a presenter and scholar at many conferences for educators and museum-goers throughout New England.