Research Interests
Social EquityWomen & Public PolicyCommunity Organizing
Opportunities
Work Study Positions Available: No
Grant Funded Positions Available: No
Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: No
Volunteer Research Positions Available: No
Biography
Dr. Michelle Wade joined the Department of Public Policy and Administration at WCU in 2013. She received a PhD in Political Science and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from Southern Illinois University, where her training focused on Public Administration, American Politics, and Gender & Politics. Prior to joining West Chester University, she was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northwest Missouri State University.
Dr. Wade’s research interests focus on social equity in public policy and administration. Her most recent commissioned technical report was a comprehensive assessment of the status of women and girls in Chester County, Pennsylvania that can be used by community leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers who want to improve the well-being of women and girls in the county. The report was organized around the following topics related to the quality of women’s lives: employment and earnings, work and family, poverty and opportunity, health and well-being, reproductive rights, violence and safety, and political participation. Her research has been published in Politics, Groups, and Identities, American Politics Research, Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, and PA Times. She has also published several book chapters on gender and public policy.
Dr. Wade volunteers with several nonprofit organizations in Chester County and the region. She currently serves as a member of the Grants Policy Committee for the Fund for Women and Girls. She has previously volunteered with the Fund’s GirlGov program (designed to increase civic engagement among girls) and Grants Allocation Committee. Dr. Wade has also served as a grant reviewer for the United Way of Chester County and the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation.
