Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy
Dean and Carlos Montezuma Professor of Education and Social Policy
A member of the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the American Educational Research Association, Dean Brayboy’s research focuses on the role of race and diversity in higher education, and the experiences of Indigenous students, staff, and faculty in institutions of higher education.
Nichole Pinkard
Alice Hamilton Professor of Learning Sciences
Alumna Nichole Pinkard (PhD98) is one of the world’s leading visionaries on educational ecosystems. It’s not enough to learn in school, says Pinkard, whose research helps connect educational opportunities between schools, parks, cities, and communities. Pinkard collaborates with colleagues Mike Horn and Marcelo Worsley to lead STEAMbassadors, a program that trains college-going youth to mentor young people from their own communities. She created the Digital Youth Network and the learning platform L3.
James P. Spillane
Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change; Professor, Human Development and Social Policy; Professor, Learning Sciences
A first-generation high school and college student from rural Ireland, James Spillane is one of the world’s top thinkers on school leadership issues, change within organizations, and policy implementation at state, school, and classroom levels. Spillane is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of education.
Kirabo Jackson
Abraham Harris Professor of Education and Social Policy
Labor economist Kirabo Jackson is a member of the three-person White House Council of Economic Advisors. His groundbreaking studies have helped educators and policymakers determine what makes one school better than another and the true measure of an exceptional teacher. Using modern methodological tools, he has researched the importance of school funding on student outcomes, the longer-term effects of single-gender education, and how to best determine teachers’ effectiveness. Jackson is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education.
Emma Adam
Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Human Development and Social Policy
Emma Adam, a developmental psychologist who coined the term “sleep equity”, is an expert on adolescent stress and sleep. Her work has revealed racial differences in stress and the impact of perceived discrimination on stress hormones, sleep, and health. Her research also suggests discrimination during adolescence has a lasting effect on the body. Adams directs the Contexts Of Adolescent Stress and Thriving (COAST) lab.
Cynthia Coburn
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
Cynthia Coburn’s work has helped spark a renaissance in the field of education research. A professor of education and social policy, she is a world-renowned expert on improving relationships between educational researchers and practitioners such as teachers, principals, and district leaders. Coburn is best known for her research uncovering the complicated factors and relationships that affect how urban school systems implement educational policy. She is a member of the National Academy of Education.
Megan Bang
Professor of Learning Sciences
Alumna Megan Bang (PhD09) studies how to create education systems that cultivate just, sustainable, and culturally thriving communities. She particularly wants to know how education, instead of being a source of trauma and assimilation, has the potential to contribute to Indigenous communities—and all communities. She is the director of Northwestern’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, a member of the National Academy of Education and its Board of Directors.
Jonathan Guryan
Lawyer Taylor Professor of Education and Social Policy
Economist Jonathan Guryan’s work spans various topics related to labor markets, education policy, and social interaction. His research interests include the causes and consequences of racial inequality, the labor market for teachers, social interactions in the workplace, youth violence, and lottery gambling. He recently investigated the effectiveness of an intensive math tutoring program and the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy based interventions for at-risk youth. Guryan, a member of the National Academy of Education, is co-director of the Urban Education Lab.
Sepehr Vakil
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences
Sepehr Vakil's work focuses on topics related to racial equity, technology, and STEM education. He directs the Young People’s Race Power and Technology Project (YPRPT), which brings together undergraduate students at Northwestern with local high school students––along with activists, artists, and technology experts–to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence and big data technologies on under resourced communities in the Chicago area.
Sally Afia Nuamah
Associate Professor in Human Development and Social Policy
Sally A. Nuamah studies race, gender, education policy, and political behavior. Her latest book, Closed for Democracy, investigates the political consequences of mass school closures on Black Americans’ relationship with government. It received three awards from the American Political Science Association.
Michael Horn
Professor and Program Coordinator, Learning Sciences; Professor, Computer Science
Mike Horn is co-founder of the nation’s first joint Computer Science-Learning Sciences PhD program His research explores using interactive technology to design innovative learning experiences. His most recent project is TunePad a free online platform for creating music with the Python programming language.
