Maya Chen is a sociologist specializing in social movements and normative change with 12 years of research and field experience, holding a Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University and currently serving as Associate Professor of Social Change at a major research university. She has published extensively on value-driven activism, civic solidarity movements, and the mechanisms of large-scale behavioral transformation across diverse societies.
Maya Chen earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University, where she specialized in collective action theory and normative diffusion processes. Over the past 12 years, she has conducted fieldwork with grassroots movements across North America, Europe, and Latin America, analyzing how environmental, equality, and human rights campaigns reshape public consciousness and policy frameworks. She has worked as a consultant for major nonprofits and international NGOs on strategic campaign design, helping organizations time their advocacy efforts and frame messaging to maximize societal receptivity. Her research has been published in leading sociology journals, and she regularly presents at academic conferences on social change dynamics. Maya currently teaches graduate courses on social movements, political sociology, and community organizing at a top-tier research university, where she directs a lab focused on norm evolution and collective behavior. She contributes to public discourse through evidence-based analysis of why certain values gain traction while others face resistance, and how individuals can align personal convictions with emerging collective priorities. Her work bridges academic rigor with practical relevance for activists, organizers, and civic leaders seeking to understand and influence the forces reshaping contemporary society. Maya is an active member of the American Sociological Association and serves on the editorial board of a journal dedicated to social change research.