
Bang, Megan
Professor of Learning Sciences
Degrees
- Political Science with Political Theory concentration, Williams College, 1997
- PhD, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 2009
Research Interests
Dynamics of culture, learning, and development broadly with a specific focus on 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; reasoning and decision-making about complex socio-ecological systems in ways that intersect with culture, power, and historicity.

Degrees
- PhD, Education, Stanford University, 2001
- MA, Sociology, Stanford University, 1997
- BA, Philosophy, Oberlin College, 1989
Research Interests
Relationship between instructional policy and teachers' classroom practices in urban schools , Relationship between research and policy

Collins, Allan
Professor Emeritus, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Cognitive Psychology, University of Michigan, 1970
- MA, Communication Sciences, University of Michigan, 1961
Research Interests
Technology and education, teaching and learning, scientific inquiry.

Colyvas, Jeannette
Associate Professor, Human Development and Social Policy
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences
Associate Professor and Executive Board Member, Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
Associate Professor (by courtesy), Department of Sociology
Associate Professor (by courtesy), MORS, Kellogg School of Management
Faculty Affiliate, Institute for Policy Research
Director of Undergraduate Programs, School of Education and Social Policy
Degrees
- PhD, Stanford University, 2007
- MA, Sociology, MA, East Asian Studies, Stanford University
Research Interests
Organizations and entrepreneurship; institutions and networks; comparing public, private, and non-profit forms of organizing; university-industry interfaces; public and private science.

Cytrynbaum, Solomon
Professor Emeritus, Education
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Director for Education, The Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies, Psychology Graduate Program
Degrees
- PhD, Psychology, University of Michigan, 1971
- MA, Child Development and Family Relations, Cornell University, 1962
- BA, Arts and Sciences, McGill University, 1959
Research Interests
Group dynamics, organizational assessment and change, family systems, gender and authority in group and organizational life, organizational consultation, evaluation of school reform and school academic/technology systems, research methods, application of group and systems theory and research to school change.

Easterday, Matthew
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University, 2010
- MS, Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004
- BA, Psychology and Mathematics, Reed College, 1999
Research Interests
Technology for the new civics – producing scientifically supported educational technology to create informed and engaged citizens who can solve the serious policy problems facing society such as poverty, global warming and militarism. Training such citizens requires us to understand how competent citizens analyze policy, communicate issues, and organize to make change. It also requires us to design more effective educational technology that can teach the knowledge, skills and dispositions citizens need.

Degrees
- PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1984
Research Interests
Artificial intelligence, specifically qualitative reasoning, spatial reasoning, analogical reasoning and learning, and inference engine design; in cognitive science, understanding how analogy and similarity work; in education, using AI techniques to create educational software and activities; in human-computer interaction, the use of sketching as an interface modality; the role of AI in computer game design.

Fuson, Karen
Professor Emerita, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Mathematics and learning; cognitive development, University of Chicago, 1972
- MAT, Mathematics, University of Chicago, 1967
- BA, Mathematics, Oberlin College, 1965
Research Interests
Mathematics teaching and learning; cognitive development; design of teaching/learning activities.

Gardner, Wendi
Associate Professor, Social Psychology
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Ohio State University, 1996
Research Interests
The centrality of social inclusion to the self.

Gentner, Dedre
Professor, Learning Sciences
Professor, Psychology
Degrees
- PhD, University of California, San Diego, 1974
Research Interests
Learning, reasoning, and conceptual change in adults and children, especially processes of similarity; metaphor, and analogy; mental models; acquisition of meaning.

Degrees
- PhD, Stanford University, 2007
- MS, Stanford University, 2003
- BA, Dartmouth College, 1998
Research Interests
Design and innovation work practices.

Haroutunian-Gordon, Sophie
Professor Emeritus, Education and Social Policy
Degrees
- PhD, Philosophy of Education, University of Chicago, 1976
- MA, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1966
- BA, Music, Religion/Philosophy, Cornell College, 1965
Research Interests
Philosophy of education, teacher education, interpretive discussion, philosophy of psychology.

Degrees
- PhD, Developmental Psychology, Emory University, 1996
- MA, Cognitive Psychology, Emory University, 1993
- BA, Psychology, Reed College, 1990
Research Interests
Object representation, number and spatial relationships.

Horn, Michael
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Learning Sciences
Associate Professor, Computer Science
Degrees
- PhD, Computer Science, Tufts University, 2009
- MS, Computer Science, Tufts University, 2006
- ScB, Computer Science, Brown University, 1997
Research Interests
Design of educational technology, learning in museums, computer programming, tangible interaction.

Lam, Eva
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences, Asian American Studies
Degrees
- PhD, Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture, University of California, Berkeley, 2003
Research Interests
Multilingualism and cultural diversity in education, digital literacy and learning in new media environments, multilingual and multimodal literacy, language and identity, language socialization, learning in transnational contexts of migration.

Lee, Carol
Professor Emeritus, Learning Sciences
Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Education and Social Policy
Professor, African American Studies
Degrees
- PhD, Education (Curriculum and Instruction), University of Chicago, 1991
- MA, English, University of Chicago, 1969
- BA, The Teaching of Secondary School English, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, 1966
Research Interests
Cultural contexts affecting learning broadly and literacy specifically; teacher preparation and development; classroom discourse; urban education.

Lewis, Daniel Rees
Research Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD Learning Sciences, Northwestern University
- MA Learning Sciences, Northwestern University

Matthews, Jolie
Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- BA, Concentration in Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, New York University
- PhD, Learning Sciences and Technology Design, Stanford University
- Master of Professional Writing, University of Southern California
Research Interests
Learning and behavior norms in online communities, social media production and consumption practices, sources and credibility, historical consciousness, fandom, digital technologies and the creative process, inquiry in digital spaces.

Degrees
- PhD, University of South Dakota, 1968
Research Interests
Learning, reasoning, and conceptual change in adults and children, mental models; acquisition of meaning, culture and education.

Munson, Jen
Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Teacher Education, Stanford University, 2018
- BS, Elementary Education, University of Maine, 2000
Research Interests
Mathematics teaching and learning; coaching and professional development; teacher education

Novak, Michael
Adjunct Faculty, Learning Sciences and MSEd Programs
Researcher, Center For Connected Learning
Degrees
- MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1994
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1992
Research Interests
Instructional materials design, professional development of teachers, professional learning communities, scientific modeling, and agent-based modeling.

Degrees
- PhD, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, 2016
- MS, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, 2012
- BA, Computer Science and Spanish, Colby College, 2007
Research Interests
Design of technology-enabled learning experiences, educational games and playful learning, growth mindset interventions, connected classroom ecosystems.

Ortony, Andrew
Professor Emeritus, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Computer Science, University of London, 1972
- MA, Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, 1966
Research Interests
Emotion and cognition; knowledge representation and figurative language comprehension; human-computer interaction and interface design.

Peterson, Penelope
Professor Emeritus, School of Education and Social Policy
Eleanor R. Baldwin Professor, Education
Former Dean, School of Education and Social Policy
Former Professor, Human Development and Social Policy
Former Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- MA, Psychological Studies in Education, Stanford University, 1976
- PhD, Psychological Studies in Education, Stanford University, 1976
- BS, Psychology and Philosophy, Iowa State University, 1971
Research Interests
Learning and teaching in schools and classrooms, particularly in literacy and mathematics; student and teacher learning in reform contexts; relations among educational research, policy and practice.

Pinkard, Nichole
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences
Faculty Director of the Office of Community Education Partnerships
Degrees
- PhD, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 1998

Rapp, David
Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
Professor, Learning Sciences
Professor, Department of Psychology
Degrees
- PhD, Experimental Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, 2000
- MA, General Psychology, New York University, 1996
- BA, Psychology, State University of New York, Albany, 1994
Research Interests
Reading comprehension; memory following learning experiences; updating prior knowledge; the acquisition of accurate and inaccurate information; translation of cognitive science research to educational settings; multimedia learning; visualizations as learning tools.

Reiser, Brian
Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Cognitive Science, Yale University, 1983
- MA, Psychology, New York University, 1979
- BA, Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 1977
Research Interests
The design of learning environments and curriculum materials for science that support authentic practices including explanation, argumentation, and designing investigations. His research examines the cognitive and social interaction aspects of scientific inquiry, principles for scaffolding practices in software and curriculum materials, teaching practices, and curriculum design frameworks.

Richards , Jennifer
Research Assistant Professor
Degrees
- PhD, Science Education, University of Maryland, 2013
- MEd, Secondary Science Education, University of Maryland, 2008
- BA, Biology, Political Science, University of Delaware, 2006
Research Interests
Teacher learning and professional development design; responsiveness to students' and educators' thinking and practices

Degrees
- PhD, Stanford University, 1974
Research Interests
Natural-language understanding, case-based reasoning, authorable learning-by-doing environments, critiquing tools for education.

Sherin, Bruce
Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Science and Mathematics Education, University of California, Berkeley, 1996
- MA, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, 1989
- BA, Physics, Princeton University, 1985
Research Interests
Conceptual change in science; computational linguistics applied to natural language data; programming environments for learning; external representations in science and mathematics.

Degrees
- PhD, Science and Mathematics Education, University of California, Berkeley, 1996
- MA, Mathematics, University of California, San Diego, 1987
- BA, Mathematics, University of Chicago, 1985
Research Interests
Mathematics teaching and learning; teacher cognition and teacher education.

Spillane, James
Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change
Professor, Human Development and Social Policy
Professor, Learning Sciences
Faculty Associate, Institute for Policy Research
Degrees
- PhD, Curriculum, Teaching and Education Policy, Michigan State University, 1993
- BA, Education and Geography, St. Patrick's College, National University of Ireland, 1984
Research Interests
Policy implementation; educational policy; organizational change; school leadership; relations between policy and teachers' and administrators' practice.

Stevens, Reed
Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- PhD, Cognitive Studies in Education , University of California at Berkeley, 1999
Research Interests
Learning and activity in a wide range of places and situations; design of learning tools curriculum, activities, and technologies.

Degrees
- PhD, University of Michigan, 1989
Research Interests
Mental representation, cognitive development, spatial cognition, early symbolization.

Vakil, Sepehr
Affiliated Faculty member, Cognitive Science Program
Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences
Affiliated Faculty member, Science in Human Cultures Program
Degrees
- PhD, Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, University of California Berkeley, 2016
- M.S, Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2007
- B.S, Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, 2006
Research Interests
intersections of technology, race, ethics, and learning; STEM education; participatory design and community-engaged research methodologies; historical and sociopolitical analyses of engineering and computer science education across global contexts; philosophy and history of education

Vossoughi, Shirin
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences
Degrees
- Post-doctoral Fellowship, Stanford University & Exploratorium, 2014
- PhD, Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 2011
- EdM, Education , University of California, Los Angeles, 2006
- BA, History and International Development, University of California, Los Angeles, 2002
Research Interests
Ethnographic study of teaching, learning and educational equity; social, cultural, historical and political dimensions of human development.

Degrees
- PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1985
- MA, Johns Hopkins University, 1981
- BS, University of Pennsylvania, 1976
Research Interests
Language and conceptual development, early cognitive development, language and thought.

Wilensky, Uri
Lorraine Morton Professor of Learning Sciences and Computer Science
Professor, Learning Sciences
Professor, Computer Science
Affiliated Faculty member, Buffett Center for Global Studies
Director, Center for Connected Learning & Computer-Based Modeling
Executive Board Member, Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
Professor (by courtesy), Department of Philosophy
Faculty member, program in Cognitive Science
Faculty member, program in Technology and Social Behavior
Faculty member, Segal Design Center Research Council
Faculty member, Center for Prevention Implementation Methodology for Drug Abuse/HIV
Affiliated Faculty member, Center for Interdisciplinary Astrophysics
Degrees
- PhD, Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993
- MA, Mathematics, Harvard University, 1980
- BA, Mathematics and Philosophy, Brandeis University, 1977
- MA, Mathematics and Philosophy, Brandeis University, 1977
Research Interests
Mathematics and science education in the context of computation, connected learning, constructionism, computer-based modeling, agent-based modeling and complex systems and education.

Wolf, Michael
Professor, Medicine and Learning Sciences, Associate Division Chief - Research , Division of General Internal Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine
Degrees
- MPH, Public Health, Northwestern University , 2002
- PhD, Social Policy, University of Illinois, 2000
- BS, Psychology/English , Valparaiso University, 1993
- MA, Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, 2006
Research Interests
Health literacy, risk communication, medication safety and adherence

Degrees
- MS, Computer Science, Stanford University, 2014
- PhD, Learning Sciences and Technology Design, Stanford University, 2014
- BA, Spanish and Portuguese, Stanford University, 2007
- BS, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 2007