RUSMP's Adem Ekmekci has co-authored a research article about the impact of factors college students experienced during their high school years on their STEM major selection in college. The research paper entitled "The relationships among high school STEM learning experiences, expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy and the likelihood of majoring in STEM in college" has been published in International Journal of Science Education.

The study examines college students' science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) choices as they relate to high school experiences, parent, teacher, and self-expectations, and mathematics and science efficacy. Participants were 2246 graduates of a STEM-focused public charter school system (CSS) in Texas. Descriptive analyses indicated that the overall percentage of graduates who chose a STEM major in college was greater than Texas state and national averages. Logistic regression analyses revealed that males and Asian students are more likely to choose a STEM major in college than females and non-Asian students, respectively. Moreover, students whose parents had a college degree in the U.S. are more likely to major in STEM fields than those who did not. Furthermore, males with higher mathematics efficacy and females with higher science efficacy are more likely to choose a STEM major than their counterparts with lower mathematics and science efficacy.

Sahin, A., Ekmekci, A., & Waxman, H. (2017). Characteristics of students who majored in STEM fields. International Journal of Science Education, 1-24. DOI: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09500693.2017.1341067