Adem Ekmekci, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Evaluation, Rice University School Mathematics Project
Clinical Associate Professor of Mathematics,
Wiess School of Natural Sciences
Adem earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in secondary mathematics teaching at Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. After teaching mathematics at the secondary level for two years there, Adem moved to the U.S. for his doctoral studies in mathematics education. He joined the research team at RUSMP right after earning his Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013.
Adem is dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and STEM teacher education. He taught several mathematics education courses at the college level. He has substantial knowledge of and experience in the UTeach program, a nationally recognized model for secondary science, technology, and mathematics teacher preparation program. His research interests focus on assessment of student learning of mathematics and science. His publications and conference presentations focus on professional development of mathematics teachers, analysis of large-scale mathematics assessments, and models and modeling in school mathematics. In addition, Adem brings to RUSMP his extensive quantitative research background including ANOVA, HLM, SEM, multiple regression, and categorical data analysis.
If you don't see Adem around, he is probably somewhere by a soccer field.
Recent Selected Publications
Ekmekci, A., & Serrano, D. M. (2022). The impact of teacher quality on student motivation, achievement, and persistence in science and mathematics. Education Sciences, 12(10), 1–21. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/10/649
Ekmekci, A., & Odemis, A. (2021, August). The College of Health Care Professions: Impact Study on Hispanic Students. Houston, TX: School Mathematics Project (RUSMP), Rice University.
Corkin, D., Ekmekci, A., & Fisher, A. (2020). Weaving culture, art, and mathematics to enhance computer science motivation among underrepresented minority students: An intervention. The Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education. DOI: 10.1007/s11256-020-00586-8
Ekmekci, A., & Papakonstantinou, A. (2020). Being research-based and research-minded in helping K-12 mathematics education. In B. Acu, D. Danielli, M. Lewicka, A. Pati, S. RV, & M. Teboh-Ewungkem (Eds.), Advances in Mathematical Sciences, Association for Women in Mathematics Series, 21, 351–360. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42687-3_23
Ekmekci, A., Corkin, D., & Fan, W. (2019). A multilevel analysis of the impact of teachers’ beliefs and mathematical knowledge for teaching on students’ mathematics achievement. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(12), 57-80. DOI: 10.14221/ajte.2019v44n12.4
Ekmekci, A., Papakonstantinou, A., Parr, R., & Shah, M. (2019). Knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions about the mathematics and mathematics teaching: How do they relate to teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge? In M. L. Niess, C. Angeli, & H. Gillow-Wiles (Eds.),Handbook of research on TPACK in the digital age, (pp. 1–23). Hershey PA: IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-7001-1.ch001
Ekmekci, A., Sahin, A., & Waxman, H. (2019). Factors affecting students’ STEM choice and persistence: A synthesis of research and findings from the second year of a longitudinal high school STEM tracking study. In A. Sahin & M. Mohr-Schroeder (Eds.), STEM Education 2.0: Myths and Truths: What has years of K-12 STEM education research taught us? (pp. 279-304). The Netherlands: Brill.
Serrano Corkin, D., Coleman, S., & Ekmekci, A. (2019). Navigating the challenges of student-centered mathematics teaching in an urban context. The Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education, 51(3), 370-403. DOI: 10.1007/s11256-018-0485-6
Recent Selected Grants
National Science Foundation, Robert Noyce Scholarship Grant #2230997, $4,235,810, 2022-2025. Rebar, B., Husman, J., Salomone, S., Ekmekci, A., &Ross, D. Western Regional Noyce Network. University of Oregon, University of Portland, Rice University, & San Diego State University.
National Science Foundation, ITEST-EAGER Grant #2041426, $299,997, 2020-2022. Ekmekci, A., Papakonstantinou, A., & Varner, P. EAGER: Web Adventures Interactive: Innovative Online Activities as Effective Tools for Broadening Participation in Science. Rice University School Mathematics Project.
National Science Foundation, Noyce Track 4 Grant #1950019, $710,277, 2020-2023. Ekmekci, A., & Papakonstantinou, A., Orcan, B. & Catanese, D. J. Collaborative Research: Exploring the Impact of Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship Programs on Teacher Retention: The Role of Motivation, Leadership, and School-Work Environment. Rice University (lead institution on this multi-institutional grant with a total budget of $1,389,537).
National Science Foundation, Noyce Track 3 Grant #1556006, $1,484,025, 2016-2021. Papakonstantinou, A., Tapia, R. A., Radigan, J., & Ekmekci, A. The Rice University Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship Program (RU-MTF). Rice University School Mathematics Project, Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, & Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics. *Assumed Co-PI-ship in 2020.
Spencer Foundation, Grant # 201800021, $34,805, 2017-2019. Ekmekci, A., & Corkin, D. The Nexus of Teacher Quality and Students’ Social Cognitive Career Outcomes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Rice University & University of Houston-Downtown.