Hello! I'm Maggie.

 

For the past twelve years, I have worked in the DEI and policy space, driven by the goal to create more equitable and just opportunities for all people. As a trained social scientist, I use data-informed approaches to strategically design and implement tailored solutions to an organization's most critical issues.

 

I currently work in the Trust & Safety department at TikTok as a Product Policy Issue Manager, specializing in nudity and sexual activity. In this role, I work with cross-functional partners around the world to craft actionable policies that improve users' experience and safety on the app. 

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Prior to this role, I served as the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Research Associate in the Office for Equity and Diversity at East Carolina University. In this role, I was responsible for engaging in strategic planning with senior leadership with a specific focus on transforming institutional policies and practices to ensure they are inclusive and affirming of individuals across a variety of identities. I additionally directed ECU's diversity and equity research initiatives, including the annual Equal Employment Opportunity Plan and three campus climate surveys, and report findings with senior staff, faculty, special interest groups, and other stakeholders for ongoing evaluation.

 

I hold a Ph.D. & Master's in Sociology with a concentration in Women's and Gender Studies from Virginia Tech. I am also a proud graduate of a historically women's college--Smith--where I earned dual Bachelor's degrees in Sociology & the Study of Women and Gender. My research, which has been successfully funded with grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Education, the Spencer Foundation, and the American Council of Learned Societies, examines organizational approaches to DEI and the outcomes--both intended and unintended--of policies and their impacts on marginalized communities. My current work focuses on transgender students applying to and attending historically gendered colleges. You can read more about my research on my website here as well as in academic journals including Gender & Society, Sociology and Race & Ethnicity, Humanity & Society, Sociology Compass, and Research in Higher Education. 

I additionally support other organizations as a consultant specializing in the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. Working with organizations like Hollins University, the American Sociological Association, and the Campaign for Southern Equality, I have developed and executed workshops, seminars, and other programmatic offerings; created resources to support professional development; and conducted mixed-method evaluations and large-scale surveys. When possible, I teach courses on Sociology, LGBTQ+, Trans and Queer Studies, Intersectionality, and Race and Racism. I've taught courses at Virginia Tech, Smith College, and Hollins University.
 

When not in the field or at work, I can be found either crafting, reading, at the antique market with my fiancée Jess (also an applied sociologist), or spending time with my miniature Jack Russell Terrier Penelope and cats Stevie and Bernadette.