Keely
Fox

Keely Fox is a Doctoral Candidate in Sociology at the University of Georgia studying women's experiences of menopause in the United States and United Kingdom. Her dissertation examines how women navigate menopausal transitions across public and private spheres, revealing the impact of institutional structures and cultural attitudes on this significant life phase. Her scholarly interests extend to women's health more broadly, particularly examining how evolving medical landscapes and advancements in technology shape women's healthcare experiences and access to care. In recognition of her research promise, Keely was awarded a Graduate School Summer Doctoral Research Assistantship (2025) and the Mary Erlanger Graduate Fellowship (2025–2026), both supporting her dissertation work on menopausal transitions.

She was awarded the UGA-University of Liverpool Doctoral Student Research Fellowship (2023). Keely collaborated on developing and implementing a qualitative study that captured the lived sexual experiences of aging women in the United Kingdom. She continues to work with her colleague on publishing these findings. Keep an eye out!

In addition to studying women’s menopausal and romantic experiences in later stages of the life course, her research has also focused on sexualities in earlier stages of the life course. In a first-authored paper published in 2021, she and her co-authors explored if there were gender differences in revealing sex secrets to a romantic partner, including the number and type of secrets kept; method of disclosure; and outcome of that disclosure. In collaboration with others, she also published an earlier paper in Sexualities & Culture that investigated the relationship consequences of disclosing sexual secrets to a romantic partner.

Her master’s research, at East Carolina University, focused on examining transitions in relationship status of non-marital parents using the Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study.

As a trained mixed methodologist, she brings expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods to her work. While at UGA, she has taught the following courses: Medical Sociology, Sociology of Health Care, and Sociology of the Family.

Keely grew up in a multi-generational household in rural South Carolina. Her exposure to multiple generations of vibrant women has continued to influence her sociological interests. Outside of academic spaces, Keely enjoys creating art through various mediums. She also is devoted to her family, animals, and plants.