Meredith G. F. Worthen (she/her/hers) is a Professor of Sociology and Sexualities/LGBTQ Studies scholar with key interests in stigma, prejudice, and crime. She is a social justice activist for the LGBTQ community, especially through her creation of The Welcoming Project, and an advocate for survivors of sexual assault through her work as #MeTooMeredith. As a researcher, teacher, and activist, she dissects multiple dimensions of prejudice in efforts to cultivate understanding, empathy, and social change.
Dr. Worthen received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009 and joined the University of Oklahoma faculty in the fall of 2009 as an Assistant Professor of Sociology and affiliate faculty member of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and the Center for Social Justice. In 2014, she was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor. In 2019, she became the youngest Full Professor at the University of Oklahoma and was featured in The Norman Transcript.
Dr. Worthen is also actively involved in the LGBTQ Ally Program, which is dedicated to helping LGBTQ students succeed at OU by making them feel safe, supported and included on campus. In addition, she is a co-founder and previous co-chair of the Division on Queer Criminology, a division of the American Society of Criminology. Learn more here in her sociological discussion of LGBTQ issues.
