A scholar of the cognitive and developmental aspects of the learning sciences with a focus on the interaction of digital media with literacy development and performance, Rachel Besharat Mann brings an interdisciplinary lens to the College of Education Studies at Wesleyan University. Her current work evaluates the multifaceted definition of literacy in contemporary culture and the implications for classroom practice, including exploration of factors that may contribute to variations in literacy development. Prior work has focused on media interaction with literacy development, including a specific concentration on the impact of social media practices on literacy and adolescent identity development. Additionally, Besharat Mann serves as a research consultant for Digital Promise, a non-profit educational company seeking to improve education access and opportunity, building models of learning variability ground in relevant research. These endeavors are enriched by over ten years of experience as an educator within the New York City Public School system.

Besharat Mann earned her B.A. in History from St. John's University, her Master's in Literacy Development and her Ph.D. in Contemporary Learning and Interdisciplinary Research from Fordham University. Prior to her appointment at Wesleyan in 2021, she served as a professor of educational psychology and curriculum and teaching at Fordham University in New York.