Position: Associate Professor
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Organization: The Ohio State University
Dr. Sarah N. Lang is an Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University and a Faculty Affiliate at both the Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE) and the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy.
With over two decades of experience in early childhood education, Dr. Lang is a nationally recognized scholar and practitioner whose work bridges research, policy, and practice to improve outcomes for young children, families, and the professionals who support them. Dr. Lang’s research focuses on the quality of early care and education (ECE), family–provider partnerships, and the professional development and well-being of ECE professionals. She is the Director of the Virtual Lab School (VLS), a federally funded, research-based professional development system that supports over 30,000 U.S. military-affiliated child and youth professionals. Under her leadership, the VLS has delivered more than 3.3 million hours of certified training and continues to expand its global reach and impact, with the site garnering over 23 million page views in fiscal year 2024. Her scholarship has been widely published in leading journals and has informed national studies and policy initiatives. Dr. Lang’s work on “cocaring” relationships between families and educators has been adopted in large-scale studies such as Baby FACES, and her research on coaching and teacher resilience has shaped professional development models across the U.S.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Lang has received numerous awards for teaching, research, and service, including the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and an Outreach and Engagement, Community Engaged Program Award from The Ohio State University. She is also a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and serves on editorial boards and federal review panels. Dr. Lang holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University, where she also earned her M.S. and B.S. degrees. Her work is grounded in a commitment to inclusion, enhancing the use of research-based practices in ECE, and the belief that all children deserve high-quality early learning experiences, which are foundational to lifelong success.
