Megan Bang

Biography

Megan Bang (Ojibwe and Italian descent) is a professor of learning sciences and director of Northwestern’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Research. She is the 2024-25 One Book One Northwestern program co-chair.

Bang, who works closely with Indigenous communities, broadly studies the dynamics of culture, learning, and development.

Her specific focus explores the complexities of navigating multiple-meaning systems in creating and implementing more effective and just learning environments in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education.

She also closely examines reasoning and decision-making about complex socio-ecological systems in ways that intersect with culture, power, and historicity.

Central to this work are dimensions of identity, equity, and community engagement. She conducts research in both schools and informal settings across the life course. She has taught and conducted research in teacher education as well as leadership preparation programs.

Bang, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education, currently serves on the Board of Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences, the Advisory Board for the National Academy of Education, and the National Science Foundation's Advisory Board for Environmental Research and Education.

Education

• PhD, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 2009
• Political Science with Political Theory concentration, Williams College, 1997

Awards and Honors

• Elected American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2024
• Elected Board Member of National Academy of Education, 2023, Member since 2021.
• Reappointed Member, Board on Science Education, National Academy of Science 2018-2021; 2021-2025
• Honoree, Influential Scholars of Color Series, Foundation for Child Development & Society for Research in Child Development, 2023
• Student & Faulty Elected Honoree, Indigenous Scholar, Northwestern University, 2023
• AERA Scholars of Color Mid-Career Award,2023
• American Education Research Association – Bobby Wright Award for Early Career Contributions to Research in Indigenous Education, 2015
• American Education Research Association, Division K, Teaching and Teacher Education, Early Career Award, 2015

Selected Publications

Warren, B., Vossoughi, S. Bang, M., Taylor, E., Rosebery, A. (Working Paper/In Press/Under Review). Epistemic Heterogeneity and Disciplinary Learning in Nasir, Na’ilah Suad, Lee, Carol D., Pea, Roy, Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning Routledge.

Tzou, C.T., Meixi, Suarez, W., Bell, P., LaBonte, D., Starks, E., & Bang, M. (2019). Making, materiality, and robotics within everyday acts of Indigenous presence and resurgence. Cognition and Instruction: 306-326.

Ishimaru, A.M., Bang, M., Valladares, M.R., Nolan, C.M., Tavares, H., Rajendran, A., Chang, K. (2019). Policy Memo: Recasting Families and Communities as Co-Designers of Education in Tumultuous Times. National Education Policy Center.

Ishimaru, A. M., Rajendran, A., Nolan, C. M., & Bang, M. (2018). Community Design Circles: Co-designing Justice and Wellbeing in Family-Community-Research Partnerships. Journal of Family Diversity in Education: 38-63.

Barajas-López, F., & Bang, M. (2018). Indigenous Making and Sharing: Claywork in an Indigenous STEAM Program.. Equity & Excellence in Education: 7-20. (Download )

Bang, M., Marin, A., & Medin, D. (2018). If Indigenous Peoples Stand with the Sciences, Will Scientists Stand with Us?. Dedalus: 148-159. 

Medin, D., ojalehto, b., Marin, A., & Bang, M. (2017). Systems of (non-) diversity. Nature Human Behaviour.
(Download )

Philip, T., Vossoughi, S., Bang, M., Zavala, M., & Jurrow, S. (2017). The Role of the Learning Sciences in a New Era of US Nationalism. Cognition and Instruction. (Download )

Brayboy, B. McKinley. J, Solyom, J.A., Chin, J.A. Tachine, A., Bang, M., Bustamante, N., Ben, C., Myles, C. Poleviyuma, Tom, M., Abuwandi, S., Richmond, A. (2017). Report for RISE: A Study of Indigenous Boys and Men. Paper prepared for RISE: Boys and Men of Color, Philadelphia, PA.. RISE: For Boys and Men of Color.

Bang, M., & Vossoughi, S. (2016). Participatory Design Research and Educational Justice: Studying Learning and Relations Within Social Change Making. Cognition and Instruction: 173-193. (Download)