Meghan Staal hails from east Michigan. After completing a Bachelor of Arts with a
double major in English and History and secondary teaching certification at the University
of Michigan-Flint, she taught and tutored for several years in the greater Flint area.
In 2014, she earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in American
Culture from the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School. While completing
a PhD in English Language and Literature at the University of Waterloo in southern
Ontario, Meghan worked in student leadership, peer mentorship, orientation, and academic
and career coaching programs. Prior to coming to Aquinas, she taught in South Carolina
and Indiana.
Her publications include an article on the ethics of consent in Octavia E. Butler's
oeuvre and an article on how applying a feminist philosophy of biology approach can
improve diagnosis and treatment of people who are experiencing depression and anxiety
following the birth or adoption of a child. Currently, she is in the process of publishing
her first book, which considers how speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy,
horror, etc) tropes such as shapeshifting provide novel commentary on gender and gender
roles. Other research interests include the representation of the concept that "women
can have it all" and healthy masculinities in Hays Code films, as well as academic
and career resources for neurodivergent women, genderqueer, and queer people. Meghan
resides in Grand Rapids with her husband, who is an Air Force veteran and author,
and children.
