Research Associate
Megan is a developmental psychologist and educator who designs science learning experiences for families with young children, and studies how families make sense of phenomena together. Her research is focused on out-of-school settings such as children’s museums, family science nights at elementary schools, outdoor spaces (beaches and parks), and families’ homes. Her design work has focused on collaborative inquiry-based activities that families can do “anytime, anywhere,” which includes a mobile app called Playful Science. Motivating Megan’s research and learning design efforts are the goals of broadening what counts as science learning and inviting families to see themselves as capable of learning and doing science. Megan studies family learning as an important context of science education in its own right, but also seeks to understand how family learning connects with school-based learning. She has a PhD in psychology from UC Santa Cruz.