The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) is pleased to announce that Michelle Meggs, D.A., executive director of the Women + Girls Research Alliance at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has been named the inaugural CUMU Impact Fellow.
The CUMU Impact Fellow provides leadership on behalf of the CUMU membership on initiatives related to impact, data, and metrics in institutional and/or regional impact. The Fellow’s work includes leading the new Impact Huddle which explores topics including campus and system-wide approaches to tracking and assessing impact; program evaluation; data utilization to shape policy and practice; and novel or effective communication techniques for telling the story. The Impact Huddle is set to begin in May.
“Through the fellowship, I am positioned to contribute to policy discourse, program development, and advocacy efforts,” said Meggs. “It affirms my commitment to scholarship that is not only rigorous and relevant but also responsive and accountable to the needs and aspirations of those whose voices have been marginalized and silenced. It is an honor and privilege to be part of a community of scholars and practitioners united in the pursuit of equity, justice, and empowerment for all communities.”
“Michelle is an accomplished scholar-administrator whose work at UNC Charlotte plays a pivotal role in connecting her campus to the Charlotte metropolitan community,” said Valerie Holton, executive director of CUMU. “Her fellowship will provide valuable recommendations and resources to the CUMU membership and further our collective commitment to research that positively impacts our urban and metropolitan areas.”
Dr. Meggs’ includes work in academia, the nonprofit sector, and ministry. She holds a D.A. in humanities with a concentration in Africana Women’s Studies from Clark Atlanta University, and a MDiv from Wake Forest University. She earned a B.A. from Johnson C. Smith University.