Melodie Yashar is a design architect, researcher and co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a group building upon a 10-year portfolio of academic space research and practice developing human-supporting concepts for space exploration. In 2015 SEArch+ was awarded the top prize in NASA’s Centennial Challenge for a 3D-Printed Habitat for the proposal "Mars Ice House." SEArch+ maintains ongoing collaboration with NASA Langley conducting feasibility studies for related ice habitat concepts. Now in Phase 3 of NASA’s Challenge, Melodie has led team SEArch+/Apis Cor to win first prize in Design for “Mars X-House,” as well as first prize in Construction Levels 1 & 2. Since 2017 Melodie has led SEArch+’s research developing functional prototypes and materials systems for future space habitats. Melodie has worked as a researcher specializing in human factors with the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames. She received a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Master of Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University.