McCaughey Appointed as Special Assistant to UW President

Martha McCaughey has been appointed as special assistant to University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel, effective Jan. 21. In this role, McCaughey will lead the university's Freedom of Expression Initiative, positioning UW as a leader in fostering intellectual freedom.

McCaughey has been engaged with UW since moving to Laramie in 2020. She has served as a visiting researcher in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, an instructor in the Honors College and a co-chair of the Working Group on Freedom of Expression, Intellectual Freedom and Constructive Dialogue. Most recently, she was the director of member and campus engagement at the Heterodox Academy, supporting initiatives in open inquiry, viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement.

"Dr. McCaughey's dedication to academic freedom will help UW enhance its reputation as a hub for open inquiry and inclusive dialogue," Seidel says.

The special assistant to the president is a senior advisory role focused on policy guidance, event planning and strategic communications for intellectual, academic and expressive freedoms, with programming such as workshops, speaker series and panel discussions to encourage constructive dialogue and widespread engagement with the principles UW has adopted.

McCaughey holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California-Santa Barbara and a B.A. in sociology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Her extensive career in higher education, including positions at Appalachian State University, Virginia Tech University and UW, reflects her commitment to fostering dialogue, building programs and promoting innovative solutions to complex challenges.