Megan Mericle (she/her)

Megan Mericle is a PhD student in the department of English and the Center for Writing Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Her research focuses on the construction and contestation of professional and community expertise, particularly in participatory science practices such as citizen science and do-it-yourself (DIY) biology. She explores how norms of citizenship shape access to and democratization of scientific practices.

Megan is originally from North Carolina, where she earned degrees in English and psychology from Western Carolina University. Weathering sub-zero temperatures, she then completed a dual MFA in creative writing and MA in English at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she also worked in the writing center and taught first-year writing courses. After graduating, she taught as an adjunct instructor in Greensboro, North Carolina before returning to graduate school at UIUC to pursue a doctoral degree. She is currently one of the Assistant Directors of the Center for Writing Studies, and a member of the Writing Across Engineering and Science (WAES) research team.