Senior Megan MacWade is weaving together three majors in psychology, Africana studies and women and gender studies to focus her academic work on gender-based violence prevention and survivor support. With a concentration in Africana gender studies and a concentration in domestic violence prevention and services, she credits supportive faculty and cross-listed courses for making it possible to pursue all three areas in depth.

On campus, MacWade applies what she is learning in the classroom to the UD community. She serves as a Sexual Health and Relationships Educator (SHARE), is political action committee chair for UD NAACP, and is a member of both Support of Survivors (SOS) and the National Council of Negro Women. Through these roles, she works alongside peers, staff and community partners to promote healthy relationships, support survivors and advocate for change.

MacWade also engages in research and practice related to trauma and violence. She works with the Hayes PTSD and Depression Treatment Lab and the Center for the Study and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, gaining experience at the intersections of mental health, race and gender. Internships with United Hands Counseling & Consulting and the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council have further affirmed her commitment to a career in domestic-violence intervention, advocacy and support services.

After graduation, MacWade plans to pursue graduate study in clinical psychology, continuing her work to create pathways to healing and justice for survivors in Delaware and beyond.