Equal Opportunity and Diversity Data Analyst at East Carolina University
About
Megan (Maggie) Nanney is the equal opportunity and diversity data analyst in the Office of Equity and Diversity at East Carolina University. Maggie received their PhD in Sociology in 2020 from Virginia Tech. In their professional role, Maggie's work currently focuses on faculty recruitment and retention, campus racial equity, and diversity and equity campus climate. Maggie's independent research extends this focus on institutional diversity to ethnographically examine transgender student policies and experiences particularly at historically women's colleges. This research has been supported by the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation, National Science Foundation, and Five College Women's Studies Research Center. In their spare time, Maggie currently serves as the Chair for Sociologists for Trans Justice and is a research consultant for the Campaign for Southern Equality located in Asheville, NC.
Current Work:
Dr. Nanney's scholarship explores how diversity and inclusion in higher education is understood, implemented, and experienced through the institutionalization of policy and practice. In particular, Dr. Nanney's work is interested in the gap between these two-- why are commitments to diversity and inclusion not actualized in the day-to-day lived realities of marginalized groups on campus? Dr. Nanney is currently working on a book manuscript based on their dissertation on diversity and inclusion policies specifically targeting transgender students at historically women's colleges. Drawing upon nine-months of participant observation and 126 interviews with students, alumni, faculty, and staff at two such colleges, Dr. Nanney asks: "How can historically women’s colleges go from trans admitting to trans serving?" Through this research, Dr. Nanney highlights the persistent inequalities faced by trans students of color and the necessity of intersectional frameworks in diversity policy.
Research Area Keyword(s):
gender and sexuality; transgender; policy; intersectionality; higher education
