Megan McDermott

Biography

Megan McDermott serves as the Notre Dame director of the ND–IBM Technology Ethics Lab. In this role, she leads strategy, partnerships, and applied research focused on the ethical and societal dimensions of emerging technologies. Prior to joining the Lab, Megan held senior roles at Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development, where she directed cross-sectoral research and learning initiatives across education, human rights, and governance. With a background in anthropology and systems thinking, her work has focused on complexity-aware approaches that bridge research and practice, often engaging communities directly in making sense of and responding to the challenges they face. She holds an MSc in anthropology and development management from the London School of Economics. Outside of work, Megan can often be found getting lost on a hike somewhere or curled up with a good book and her cat, Gilly.