Meg Paceley, PhD

Associate Professor

Dr. Meg Paceley is a social worker and scholar engaged in research that examines factors in the social environment (e.g. families, communities) and broader systems (e.g. policies, societal rhetoric) and their relationship to queer and trans (QT) youth’s mental and physical health. Dr. Paceley aims to identify and evaluate macro strategies (e.g. community organizing & activism, policy advocacy, education) to confront stigma, discrimination, and victimization that contribute to mental and physical health disparities among QT youth. With the goal of promoting social justice for QT youth, Dr. Paceley embeds research in principles of anti-oppressive practice and theoretical frameworks such as social-ecological systems theory, minority stress theory, and critical theories. Dr. Paceley’s scholarship is rooted in more than five years of social work practice experience developing, leading, and evaluating a QT community-based organization; engaging in community organizing and advocacy to promote QT equity; and direct practice experience with QT youth.

Dr. Paceley also utilizes scholarship to impact the justice and equity missions of the social work profession by examining and evaluating how social work education can be more social justice-driven. Dr. Paceley’s work in this area has primarily focused on trans-inclusion in social work education, as well as broader themes of racial and social justice and trauma informed pedagogies.

Research Interests

LGBTQ+ Youth
Community Climate
Community Organizing
Health Disparities
Community-Based Research
Arts-Based Research
Transgender Justice

Curriculum Vitae

View Meg Paceley’s CV

In the Media

Podcast: Centering Transgender and Gender Expansive People in Social Work and Social Work Education – UB Social Work