Margaret E. Foster (Maggie) is a PhD student in Communication at Cornell University. Her research examines how media and technology facilitate queer relationality, identity expression, and constructions of queer spaces. Maggie works with qualitative methods and takes a critical-cultural approach to studying gender and sexuality.
Prior to Cornell, Maggie studied hashtag activism (particularly #MeToo) at UNC Chapel Hill, where she completed her Master’s degree. She remains a proud affiliate of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life. Maggie also served as National Research Coordinator for the Next Generation Science Exemplar (NGSX) Program for Professional Learning, a professional development project dedicated to epistemic justice in K-12 science education. As an undergraduate at Clark University, she studied Spanish literature and critical pedagogies. Maggie’s background in education inequality fuels her passion for social justice and her love of teaching.
Education
B.A., Clark University (Worcester, MA): double-major in Cultural Studies & Communication (CSAC) and Spanish Language, Literature, & Culture. Minor: Women's and Gender Studies.
M.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC): Media and Communication (Theory & Research Track)
Outstanding MA Media and Communication Student Award, Hussman School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Roy H. Park MA Fellow, Hussman School of Journalism and Media, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Phi Beta Kappa Society, Lambda of Massachusetts Chapter
Howard Bonar Jefferson Award for Academic Excellence, Clark University
Contact Information
mef262 [at] cornell.edu
Sender, K., Rodrigues, B., Foster, M. E., Chen, T., Dauzenroth, C., & Wang, H. (2025). Strategic methodological essentialism: An approach to transnational LGBTQ+ audience research. Media, Culture & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437251375351
Foster, M. E. (2024). “He said she’s a bisexual gold-digger”: Biphobia and epistemic injustice in news coverage of the Depp v. Heard divorce and defamation trial. Feminist Media Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2024.2358087
February 11, 2026 Awards Professor danah boyd was selected as a Non-Resident Fellow by the Center for Democracy & Technology, an honor recognizing leading scholars who contribute expertise on technology policy, civil rights, and democratic...
December 10, 2025 Conferences & Lectures Graduate student Emma Cox presented her research titled “Expanding the Risk Convergence Model: Distinguishing Character-Driven and Plot-Driven Forms of Engagement as Explanations for Risk Perceptions” at...