Megan K. Maas

Megan Maas, PhD, is an assistant professor in Human Development & Family Studies at Michigan State University. She received her PhD in 2016 from The Pennsylvania State University as a pre-doctoral fellow funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Her research focuses on adolescent sexual socialization, with an emphasis on the bi-directional role that social media, sexting, and online pornography play in the development of attitudes and behavior related to sexuality and gender.
Broadly, she is interested in promoting healthy romantic relationships and sexual competencies and preventing unwanted sexual experiences (e.g. childhood sexual abuse, adolescent sexual harassment and assault). Particular attention is paid to female adolescents' experiences with sexual harassment, self-objectification, sexual agency, and sexual behavior.
Currently, her work has 3 branches from this overarching theme: (1) data from adolescents on their media and sexuality experiences; (2) collecting data from parents on how they discuss sexuality and pornography with their children; and (3) developing and adapting curriculum that addresses the connection between online media use and offline sexual health and violence.
Maas also has extensive applied experience in sexual assault prevention and sexuality education for college students and K-12 student assistance professionals. She teaches courses on sexuality, adolescence, and research methods.