Stephanie Masta

Dr. Stephanie Masta is an Associate Professor in Curriculum Studies at Purdue University’s College of Education, with affiliate roles in American Studies and the School of Engineering Education. A member of the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians, her research focuses on racialized educational experiences, colonialism in academia, and Indigenous methodologies. She employs critical race/decolonial theories and Indigenous epistemologies to analyze K-20 education environments.

Education background:

• Ph.D. in Multicultural Education, Iowa State University (2013)
• M.Ed. in Higher and Postsecondary Education, Arizona State University (2003)
• B.A. in Political Science, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2001)

Research interests emphasize:

• Critical qualitative methods
• Colonialism’s influence in education
• Counterspaces for marginalized students
• Anti-racist pedagogies

Her work has been funded by NSF/Spencer Foundation grants and published in top journals like Anthropology & Education Quarterly and Teaching in Higher Education.

Recipient of the 2022 College of Education Graduate Faculty Mentoring Award, her scholarship bridges theory and practice through projects like the I-MATTER initiative. She teaches courses on qualitative research methods, critical methodologies, and Indigenous pedagogies.

Labs/affiliations: Active in Purdue’s School of Engineering Education and American Studies program, her work integrates interdisciplinary approaches to systemic inequities in STEM and humanities education.