I am a creative changemaker who drives socially responsible universities and nonprofit organizations

 

 

Higher Education Leader

A higher education and nonprofit leader with a demonstrated commitment to social justice and diversity, Sharon M. Meagher currently does executive search for Spelman Johnson. Recently, she served as Interim Provost and Senior Vice President at Saint Mary’s College, Notre, Dame, Indiana. She is retiring from her role as a Professor of Philosophy and higher education and nonprofit consultant. Meagher previously served as the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Marymount Manhattan College (MMC). Prior to her employment at Marymount Manhattan College, her roles included Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Widener University; Director of Social Responsibility at the Union Institute and University; and founding Chair of the Department of Latin American Studies and Women's Studies at the University of Scranton.  She also served as a trustee at Keystone College. Meagher’s international education experience extends from her graduate study in Berlin to her work as a founding faculty member and consultant in Sub-Saharan Africa’s first graduate program on gender and development outside of South Africa, and the establishment of an international research and teaching consortium on sustainable agriculture and development based in Costa Rica. Meagher has consulted at both public and private universities in the U.S. and abroad on publicly engaged scholarship, sustainability education, curriculum development, and place-based learning in diverse communities.   

 

Nonprofit Leader

Meagher founded or co-founded three non-profit organizations:  Mulberry Central Neighborhood Development Corporation that leveraged public-private partnerships to foster community and economic development in Scranton, PA; the Public Philosophy Network, an international organization founded in 2010 that now boasts more than 1,000 members and offers conferences, workshops, resource sharing, and other opportunities to network and collaborate on engaged teaching and research projects; and Empowering Women in Education, Inc, whose purpose is to provide financial support for women seeking higher education, with a current focus on providing scholarships to students enrolled in the Gender, Culture and Development Master’s Degree program in Rwanda where Meagher served as a founding faculty member and consultant.  Meagher led these start-ups through fundraising, governance and organizational issues, staffing, marketing communications, and program development and management.  She has served on many other boards and advisory groups and has provided consultations to nonprofit organizations and foundations with focuses on community and economic development, education, and the arts.

 

Engaged Scholar and Teacher

Drawing on her experience as an engaged teacher and scholar, Meagher has edited three volumes and written many book chapters on articles on social justice, philosophy of the city, community and economic development, LGBTQ issues, and engaged teaching and learning.  She has taught courses on women and development in Latin America, creative placemaking, philosophy of the city, feminist theory and practice, political philosophy, and ethics.