Melissa (Missy) Maceyko, PhD (she/her) is the current co-director of public policy for the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in California and a faculty member in Political Science, Anthropology, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Linguistics at California State University, Long Beach. She is also the co-Founder and head of research at Willing Observers, a culturally driven Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) research and consulting firm based in California. A former section editor for Anthropology News and a regular public speaker and opinion writer, Dr. Maceyko’s academic and public work addresses topics such as political participation, first amendment freedoms, language and social justice, gender inclusivity, and cross-cultural awareness. Dr. Maceyko received a BA in Political Science and English Literature from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and an MA in General Linguistics, MA in Anthropology, and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Maceyko is currently completing a book about the impacts of political polarization and shift on small communities in rural western Pennsylvania. Entitled Redeeming Political Life: Learning from Shared Politics in a Polarized Town, the book offers a novel analysis of the problematic political dynamics that have come to dominate many small towns, families, and communities across the United States, foregrounding political tension within and against important points of continuity and commonality.