Melanie Muskin

Melanie Muskin is an Adjunct Professor in the Education Department at Vassar College, where she joined in 2024. She is concurrently completing her PhD in Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. Her research focuses on professional dignity, teacher activism, and early childhood education, informed by her prior career as a teacher, school administrator, and leader of professional development initiatives in NYC schools.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Cognitive Science, Vassar College (2010)
• Master’s in Organization and Leadership, Teachers College at Columbia University
• Master’s and Doctoral studies in Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University

Research emphasizes teacher well-being through participatory design and social movements. Her work bridges policy analysis and grassroots organizing, as seen in studies on teacher resignation narratives and child care systems. Recent publications explore TikTok’s role in teacher activism and PK-12 sabbatical policies.

Awards & Fellowships

• Institute for Education Sciences Fellowship (2022-2025)
• Search Institute Summer Scholars Fellowship (2023)
• Phi Beta Kappa & multiple honor society recognitions

Teaching includes undergraduate education policy courses and student-teacher coaching. She has advised on early childhood center operations during the pandemic and contributed to anti-oppressive scholarship initiatives.