Dr. Maggie Sugg

Dr. Maggie Sugg’s current research focuses on spatiotemporal health patterns, specifically how environmental, socioeconomic and climatic determinants influence these patterns. By applying this perspective, her research offers valuable insights into the etiology of environmental health diseases, with a particular emphasis on identifying overburdened populations and the environmental conditions that lead to adverse health outcomes. 

Sugg’s work has been recognized through several prestigious awards and honors, including the NSF CAREER Award, the highest honor given to early-career faculty by the National Science Foundation, the Emerging Scholar Award from the Health and Medical Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers, and the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award from the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies at Appalachian State University. She has also received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity at Appalachian State University, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency's STAR Fellowship in Public Health. 

Sugg has secured external funding from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Gulf Research Program, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Public Health AmeriCorps, the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In addition, she has authored or co-authored over 80 publications across multiple disciplines, including public health, spatial epidemiology, geography and climate science.

Areas of expertise

• Impacts of climate and hurricanes on human health
• Human vulnerability to heat illness and hypothermia
• Temperature exposure impacts on ground workers