Michelle Meggs is the executive director of the Women + Girls Research Alliance. It encourages engaged research focused on issues related to the economic, social and physical well-being of women and girls by encouraging co-production among researchers, community residents and practitioners. In her role, which is challenging yet rewarding, she leverages the unique connection between the University and the larger Charlotte metropolitan community. Meggs earned a Doctor of Arts in Humanities with a concentration in Africana Women’s Studies from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University. Her undergraduate degree is from Johnson C. Smith University.
Tell us more about the work of the alliance.
At the alliance, we mobilize, we equip, and we convene. Our competitive Seed Grant Program is one way we achieve this goal. Second, we equip a growing network of grassroots and established organizations devoted to issues related to women and girls to build their knowledge and organizational capacity.
Finally, through our online and in-person gatherings and conversations, we convene experts and scholars together to lead discussions that improve outcomes for women and girls. Our last gathering was our “Taking Space without Apology: A Women + Girls Leadership Café,” which gathered CMS students, nonprofit leaders, community activists, corporate leaders, educators, parents and researchers to gather and talk about safety, health and well-being and economic security.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Sharing the history and work of the alliance with everyone I connect with is most rewarding for me. The work we do is intentionally inclusive and intersectional. I am always delighted to share what we are up to and how we work together with everyone at urbanCORE to create meaningful strides in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
What do you like to do when you aren't working?
I love traveling and seeing new places. I am a complete book nerd, a coffee mug and tumbler collector and an avid coffee drinker.
What's a fun fact about you many people may not know?
I am a Vincent Price movie fan, and I can quote every line from the movie “The Color Purple!”