Meghan Orman, Ph.D. profile and information
Learn more about Meghan Orman, Ph.D.
- Director, Auburn University Early Learning Center
- Faculty
More bio information
Short Bio
Dr. Meghan Orman is a developmental scientist, educator, and Director of the Auburn University Early Learning Center in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. Her work focuses on early childhood development, educator and caregiver well-being, and the relationships, environments, and systems that shape learning and development.
Drawing on her background in applied developmental and environmental psychology, Montessori education, and community-engaged research, Dr. Orman seeks to bridge research and practice to support more equitable, responsive, and sustainable early childhood systems. Her research has explored early childhood educators' well-being and social support, young children's relationships with nature, and family-centered approaches to promoting health and development.
At Auburn, Dr. Orman is committed to cultivating the Early Learning Center as a collaborative environment for high-quality early childhood education, experiential learning, research, and community engagement. She is particularly interested in strengthening connections between research and practice, supporting educator well-being and professional growth, and creating opportunities for children, families, educators, and university students to learn from and alongside one another.
Originally from rural central New York, Dr. Orman brings a deep appreciation for the role of place, relationships, and community in shaping human development. She believes in the power of education, collaboration, and service to create meaningful change and is proud to contribute to Auburn's tradition of learning, hard work, and service to others.
Professional Experience
Dr. Orman brings interdisciplinary experience in developmental research, higher education, early childhood education, and organizational leadership. Before joining Auburn University in 2026, she served as a Jackie Bezos Researcher in Residence at the Bezos Family Foundation, where she provided internal research advising to inform philanthropic investments, particularly in community-engaged research and initiatives supporting Native scholars in early childhood research. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell University, where her work focused on mobile health (mHealth) interventions for families with young children and the StayWell study examining early childhood educators' well-being.
Her professional background also includes serving as a Fulbright–National Science Foundation Arctic Research Fellow at the University of Iceland, where she studied young children's relationships with nature. She was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh, taught philosophy as an adjunct professor for ten years, and worked as a Montessori early childhood educator for five years. These experiences inform her approach to research, teaching, and leadership, emphasizing reflective practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and connecting research with practice.
At Auburn, Dr. Orman directs the Early Learning Center, a university laboratory school that provides high-quality early childhood education while supporting experiential learning, research, and community engagement.
Innovation
Dr. Orman's research examines how relationships, environments, and broader social systems shape early childhood development and the well-being of children, families, and educators. Drawing on applied developmental and environmental psychology, her work uses mixed-methods, interdisciplinary, and community-engaged approaches to explore questions at the intersection of human development, education, health, and sustainability.
Her research has focused on early childhood educators' well-being and social support, young children's relationships with nature, and family-centered approaches to promoting health and development. Her work includes mixed-methods research on educator well-being and workplace support, a Fulbright–NSF study exploring young children's nature connection in Iceland, and research supporting the development of mobile health interventions for families with young children.
Across these areas, Dr. Orman is particularly interested in centering the experiences and perspectives of children, educators, and families; examining development within its social, cultural, and environmental contexts; and translating research into meaningful improvements in practice and policy. At Auburn, she is interested in expanding collaborative, practice-informed research that supports healthy development, educator well-being, and more equitable and sustainable early childhood systems.
Engagement
Dr. Orman is committed to community engagement, environmental stewardship, and making research and education accessible and meaningful beyond the university. Her outreach and volunteer experiences span early childhood education, family support, sustainability, and environmental education, reflecting her belief in the importance of reciprocal partnerships and community-based learning.
She has contributed to sustainability and community engagement initiatives at the University of Pittsburgh, volunteered with Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and supported early childhood and family development initiatives through Cornell Cooperative Extension - Tompkins County Child & Family Development in New York. She is also a certified Master Beekeeper through the University of Florida, reflecting her longstanding interest in pollinator conservation, environmental education, and the connections between people and the natural world.
At Auburn, Dr. Orman is interested in strengthening partnerships among the Early Learning Center, university students and faculty, local organizations, and the broader community. Her approach to outreach emphasizes collaboration, environmental stewardship, experiential learning, and creating opportunities for children and adults to connect with one another and the environments in which they live.
