Dr. Megan Bang

Biography

Megan Bang (of 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 co-chair of the Northwestern program for the 2024-25 academic year. Bang works closely with Indigenous communities and broadly studies the dynamics of culture, learning, and development, with a specific focus on exploring the complexities of navigating multiple-meaning systems to create and implement effective learning environments in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education. Her research closely examines reasoning and decision-making in complex socio-ecological systems and the ways that they intersect with culture, power, and historicity. Central to her work are the dimensions of identity, equity, and community engagement. Bang conducts research in both schools and informal settings across the life course and has taught and conducted research in teacher education and leadership preparation programs. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Education, and currently serves on the Board of Science Education for the National Academy of Sciences, as well as the Advisory Board for the National Academy of Education and the National Science Foundation's Advisory Board for Environmental Research Education.

Research Interests

Awards