Maas Outreach, Research, & Education

Megan Maas, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert in media and sexual behavior. Currently, she is an associate professor in Human Development & Family Studies at Michigan State University. Her award-winning research, recognized by the American Psychological Association, focuses on adolescent sexual development. Specifically, she investigates how experiences of social media, sexting, and online pornography play a bi-directional role in the development of attitudes and behavior related to sexuality and gender. She received her PhD from The Pennsylvania State University as a pre-doctoral fellow funded by the National Institutes of Health. Born and raised in California, Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. She also holds a master’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies from Penn State. ​Before pursuing an academic career, Megan worked on film sets in Los Angeles where she developed her passion for storytelling. After gravitating toward education, she worked as a health educator and developed a popular lecture series which integrated peer-reviewed information on pornography use into sexual health behavior for lectures for college students, parents, and mental health professionals. Since then, Megan has served as a facilitator, workshop leader, and speaker on issues revolving around adolescent sexuality, sexualization, pornography use, sexual socialization, pornography use in romantic relationships, and parent-child communication about sexuality at universities and organizations across the country. In addition to publishing her research in academic journals, she also publishes her work in mass media outlets such as HuffPost, CNN, and Salon. She also continues her passion for storytelling by translating science to general audiences in documentary films, podcasts, and television interviews.