Megan’s teaching philosophy is shaped by her experience navigating the in-between — as a computational social scientist bridging data and behavior, and as a second-generation Asian American navigating multiple cultures. These dual perspectives inform her commitment to inclusive, interdisciplinary learning that embraces complexity and multiple ways of knowing.
Teaching Assistanceships
Social Network Analysis
SU25 | SP25 | F24 | SU24 | SP24 | SU23 | F22
Virtual Labs | Available on GitHub
Undergraduate and graduate-level elective courses for communication and engineering students
Course Outline
- Descriptive network analysis
- Network Data Collection
- Network Data Visualization
- Local Network Properties
- Global Network Properties
- Inferential network analysis
- Exponential Random Graph Models
- Stochastic Actor-Oriented Models
- Relational Event Models
- Autologistic Actor-Attribute Models
Responsibilities
- Prepared course syllabus, lecture slides, and assignments
- Facilitated interactive class activities
- Taught coding labs
- Hosted weekly office hours
- Graded all assignments
Additional Notes
Course formats included in-person, asynchronous, and study-abroad
Course number(s): COMP_SCI496, MTS525, IEMS441, MLDS490, COMP_SCI396, COMM_ST352, IEMS341, COMM6416P
Northwestern University
University of Science and Technology of China
Taught by Prof. Noshir Contractor
Negotiations and Conflict Resolution for Engineers
W25
Undergraduate elective course for engineering students
Course Outline
- Distributive Negotiations
- Integrative Negotiations
- Agents & Deception
- Dispute Resolution
- Mediation
- Social Dilemmas
- Culture & Negotiations
Responsibilities
- Assisted with course syllabus, case studies, and assignments
- Taught the mediation lecture
- Graded assignments and exams
Additional Notes
Received the Arthur Hurter Outstanding TA Award from this class
Course Number: IEMS345
Northwestern University
Taught by Dr. Jim Rekoske
Leading Collaboration
F24
Masters-level core course for communication studies students
Course Outline
- Leadership Features
- Leadership Functions
- Leadership Forms
- Leadership Fit
- Leadership Focus
- Leadership Outcomes
Responsibilities
- Facilitated interactive course activities
- Graded assignments
Additional Notes
Course number: MSC540
Northwestern University
Taught by Prof. Leslie DeChurch
Leading and Leveraging Networks
SP24 | SP23
Masters-level core course for students in communication studies
Course Outline
- Interpersonal networking
- Leveraging networks for team/organizational effectiveness
- Designing networks for innovation, change, and knowledge sharing
- Digitally-enabled networks
Responsibilities
- Prepared course syllabus, lecture slides, and assignments
- Facilitated interactive class activities
- Graded assignments
Additional Notes
Course number: MSC492
Northwestern University
Taught by Prof. Noshir Contractor
Whole-Brain Leadership
SP24
Undergraduate elective course for engineering students
Course Outline
- Understanding Leadership
- Leadership Traits, Styles, and Skills
- Creating a Leadership Climate
- Team Leadership
- Managing Conflict
- Ethics and Values in Leadership
Responsibilities
- Facilitated class discussions
- Graded assignments
Additional Notes
Course number: IEMS341
Northwestern University
Taught by Dr. Marita Poll
Data Management & System Design
SP19 | F18
Undergraduate core course for engineering students
Course Outline
- Relational databases
- Database management systems
- Entity-relationship diagrams
- Server-client architecture
- Set theory
- Database design
- SQL operations and joins
Responsibilities
- Taught lectures on server-client architecture and coding labs
- Hosted weekly office hours
- Graded assignments
Additional Notes
Course number: IME312
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Taught by Prof. Tao Yang
Process Improvement Fundamentals
W19
Undergraduate core course for engineering students
Course Outline
- Lean manufacturing
- Value stream mapping
- Flow diagrams
- Pareto charts
- Time and motion studies
- 5S workplace organization
- Learning curve
- Overall equipment effectiveness
Responsibilities
- Led work sampling and line balancing in-class lab activities
- Supported lean manufacturing simulation activity
- Provided regular coaching to student teams term projects
Additional Notes
Course number: IME223
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Taught by Karen Bangs
Executive Education
GATX HR Summit:
Leading and Leveraging Networks
September 2025
Kellogg Executive Education:
Networks and Connected Organizations
June 2025, January 2025
Grainger End-to-End Leader Training:
Leading and Leveraging Networks
January 2025, May 2025, August 2023
Kellogg Executive Education:
Leading Multiteam Systems
September 2025, November 2024, October 2024, September 2024
Kellogg Executive Education:
Influencing AI and Human Teams
November 2025, November 2024
Kellogg Executive Education:
Leading High Impact Teams
November 2025, October 2024, September 2024
Students Advised
Advised for one academic year or longer:
Amrita Natarajan
(F24 – SP25)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Gulsimo Osimi
(SP23 – SP25)
B.S. Data Science, Computer Science, and Statistics
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Text Analysis in Teams
Chelsea Peng
(F24 – S25)
B.S. Communication Studies
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Nicole Qian
(SP24 – SP25)
B.S. Applied Mathematics
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Glenna Wang
(F23 – SP25)
B.S. Communication Studies
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Jonathan Wu
(F24 – S25)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Connor Zamborsky
(F24 – SP25)
B.S. Computer Science
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Text Analysis in Teams
Declan Kneita
(F23 – SP24)
B.S. Computer Science
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Text Analysis in Teams
Arman Rahim
(F23 – SP24)
B.S. Computer Science
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Text Analysis in Teams
Victoria Shi
(SU23 – SP24)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Novel Performance Measure Optimization
Erica Zhou
(F22 – F23)
B.A. Data Science & Economics
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Novel Performance Measure Optimization
Chumei (Vicky) Wei
(F22 – SP23)
B.A. Economics & Statistics
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Novel Performance Measure Optimization
Advised for under one academic year:
Shraeya Iyer
(SU25)
B.S. Computer Science
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Team Synergy Over Time
Isabel Su
(SU25)
B.S. Statistics
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Team Synergy Over Time
Jeffrey Tu
(SU25)
B.S. Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences, Economics, and Environmental Policy and Culture
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Team Synergy Over Time
Dawson Ren
(SU24)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Text Analysis in Teams
Ifechukwu Efobi
(SU24)
Union County Magnet High School
Harvard OpenBio SRI Mentee
Project: Racial Disparities and Medicine: A
Never-Ending Cycle
Supraja Sudarsan
(W24 – SU24)
B.A. Communication Studies
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Mika Ng
(SP24)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Linh Ly
(W24 – SP24)
B.S. Computer Science
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Mahmood Sadeghi
(F23)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Milan Shah
(SP23 – F23)
B.S. Electrical Engineering
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Text Analysis in Teams
Yanis Zaim
(F23)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Eleanor Colligan
(W23 – SP23)
B.A. Statistics & Data Science
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: NASA HERA Data Collection
Kevin Li
(SP22)
B.S. Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
SONIC Lab Data Science Intern
Project: Novel Performance Measure Optimization
Notable achievements:
- N. Qian successfully submitted and presented a poster “Improving Space Mission Success Through Team State-Building Activities” at the 2025 NASA Human Research Program’s Investigator’s Workshop, with collaborators S. Bell, L. DeChurch, and N. Contractor
- E. Zhou was accepted to the NetSci 2024 conference with her submission “Configural Drivers of Team Performance in Multiteam Systems”, with collaborators L. DeChurch and N. Contractor
- I. Efobi was my mentee in the 8-week Harvard OpenBio Summer Research Institute. I guided her through a literature review on a topic of her choice. Out of 70 total submissions, she placed in the top 5 literature reviews, with her full paper “Racial Disparities and Medicine: A Never-Ending Cycle” accepted for publication in the Young Researcher in 2024.
- M. Shah successfully submitted and presented a poster “Uncovering Effective Sequences of Dialog Acts in High-Performance Multiteam Systems” for the 2023 Organizational Communication Mini Conference, with collaborators H. Youn and N. Contractor
Additional Teaching Experiences
Reflective and Effective Teaching Certificate
Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
Completed a 120-hour certificate program organized by the Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning
Cal Poly Study Sessions Senior Leader
Fall 2017 – Spring 2019
Led bi-weekly study sessions for physics and math classes and trained new study session leaders
MORE at Evanston Township High School
Spring 2024
Introduced high school students to Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences and PhD research
SPLASH at Northwestern University
Spring 2022
Taught a lecture on productivity for high school students at Northwestern University
FIRST Robotics Competition Science Camps
Summer 2012 – Summer 2016
Developed and led STEM-focused summer and winter camps for elementary and middle school students
Megan Chan 