Meredith Bak

Meredith Bak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Childhood Studies at Rutgers University-Camden. Her research examines the intersection of children, media technologies, and educational practices from the 19th century to contemporary contexts.

• Ph.D. in Film and Media Studies from UC Santa Barbara

Her work focuses on pre-cinematic visual media (e.g., optical toys, pop-up books) and their role in cultivating media literacy, as well as the historical development of animate toys from talking dolls to augmented reality applications. She has published on topics including:

• Stereoscopes in 19th-century classrooms
• Contemporary large-scale optical toys
• Toy magic lanterns

Meredith is currently completing a book manuscript analyzing how these media shaped children as spectators and modern subjects.

• Andrew W. Mellon Regional Fellowship (2014–2015)