South Middlesex Times

Sarah McMahon, a professor at Rutgers School of Social Work and director of the Center for Research on Ending Violence, has been appointed as special advisor to President Jonathan Holloway for sexual misconduct prevention and response. She began her role on July 1, 2024.

McMahon is recognized nationally for her research on interpersonal violence. She specializes in designing and conducting surveys that measure college students' attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge regarding campus violence. This academic year, she will lead the next phase of Rutgers’ Academic and Workplace Behaviors and Environment Survey. Additionally, she will facilitate a university-wide steering committee on sexual misconduct and assist in recruiting a new assistant vice president responsible for coordinating Title IX compliance.

“These projects are critical to creating an environment in which all members of the Rutgers community can thrive, and there is no one better to lead this work than Sarah McMahon,” said Holloway. He noted that these duties would be in addition to her ongoing work with campus climate surveys and improving Title IX training and reporting.

McMahon’s efforts this year will include sharing results from the workplace climate survey along with recommendations made by a university steering committee based on those findings.

“This survey effort is intended to establish a baseline understanding of the climate at Rutgers regarding sexual harassment and workplace mistreatment, provide a reference point to measure future progress, and assist decision-making to foster an inclusive community free from harassment,” McMahon stated.

McMahon has led several research projects related to campus violence funded at various levels. In 2014, she collaborated with the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault by testing a campus climate survey tool. The results helped improve educational, counseling, and treatment services across all Rutgers campuses.

In fall 2020, Rutgers joined 39 other institutions and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in forming an Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. During its first year, Rutgers committed to administering a university-wide workplace environment survey including all faculty and staff.

McMahon also serves on the NJ Campus Sexual Assault Task Force. She has numerous publications on sexual violence and has presented her work both nationally and internationally.