Professor Meghan Manfra Joins Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life as 2023-24 Research Affiliate

Meghan Manfra, a professor of social studies education in the NC State College of Education, has joined the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) as a member of the 2023-24 research affiliate community. 

Based in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CITAP is an organization dedicated to understanding the growing impact of the internet, social media and other forms of digital information sharing in the context of people who design, use and govern them. The organization also explores technology as it’s embedded in societies structured by economics, race, politics and culture. 

“As a research affiliate of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public LIfe, I will be able to connect with scholars from around the world, all bringing a unique perspective to the core mission of the center,” Manfra said. “I will be able to contribute to and learn from the research of the multidisciplinary team.”

During her year as a CITAP affiliate, Manfra will have opportunities to join research workshops and working groups, attend professional development sessions and symposia and contribute to the organization’s ongoing podcast. 

She will contribute her own research expertise on media literacy in secondary classrooms, for which she received a 2020 National Technology Leadership Initiative Fellowship, as well as strategies for increasing modern student media literacy by studying history. 
In addition, Manfra is continuing to work with the Library of Congress to conduct research on the integration of digital materials in the classroom. She is also authoring a book – Fight the Fake: Navigating Fake News and Misinformation – which will address multiple facets of society’s relationship with social media, including digital health and wellness, online civic engagement and internet safety.