Margaret (Maggie) J. Peña Harden has over 15 years of experience in higher education and has expertise in program assessment and evaluation, strategic planning, organizational and leadership development, institutional research and benchmarking, faculty affairs, equity, and inclusion.

As associate provost for academic administration at the University of Virginia, Maggie is responsible for a broad array of responsibilities in the areas of academic policy, data stewardship, academic personnel, and general administration. Joining UVA in 2008 as the director of the Institute for Faculty Advancement and assistant to the vice provosts, Maggie was responsible for needs assessment, strategic planning, program development and evaluation, and reporting on areas related to faculty recruitment, retention, and advancement. Prior to that, at the University of Arizona, Maggie served as the program coordinator senior for the NSF-funded ADVANCE grant, managing a university-wide program focused on reducing the impact of unconscious bias and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Maggie was a first-generation college student and has earned a B.A. in History from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in History from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Virginia. She currently serves on the board of the Virginia Network of the American Council on Education's Women's Network.

Maggie grew up on the west side of the city colonially known as Tucson, Arizona, which is located on the traditional territory of the Tohono O’odham, the Pascua Yaqui, the Sobaipuri, and the Hohokam.