Natalie Davis

Natalie R. Davis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Critical Studies in Education at the University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education. Her work focuses on sociopolitical development of children from non-dominant communities, particularly Black children in urban environments, emphasizing culturally responsive pedagogies and community-engaged research. She holds a PhD in Educational Foundations from U-M, a B.A. from Columbia University, and an M.A. in Elementary Teaching.

Her research explores teaching-learning relationships, cultural ecologies, and methodologies that center youth agency. She collaborates with museums, non-profits, and schools on projects like the Climate Justice Seed Project, integrating environmental justice and place-based learning.

Key awards include National Academy of Education/Spencer and SRCD fellowships, NSF funding, and the AERA Division G distinguished dissertation award. Her grants include a 2023–2025 project on justice-oriented elementary teaching and a water literacy initiative along the Mississippi River.