Associate Professor Serkan Özel is a faculty member of the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Boğaziçi University. His academic journey includes collaborations with major Turkish organizations such as TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industry), TÜPRAŞ (Turkish Petroleum Refineries), and TEGV (Turkey Educational Volunteers). From 2019 to 2021, he enhanced his research expertise as a visiting faculty at Vanderbilt University's Department of Psychology and Human Development in the USA.
Dr. Özel is a consultant for schools ranging from kindergarten to high school, specializing in STEM education and the integration of technology in learning environments. He also advises on educational content for the Arter Museum of Contemporary Art's learning programs. He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in mathematics education at Boğaziçi University in 2004 and earned his PhD in Educational Psychology, with a focus on Educational Technologies, from Texas A&M University in 2009.
His research primarily focuses on mathematics teaching methods, technology in education, and the broader scope of STEM education. In addition to his research work, Dr. Özel actively participates in various committees at Boğaziçi University and serves in the editorial boards of several academic journals. He is the editor of Boğaziçi University Education Journal, the associate editor of the Experimental Psychology: Applied Journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA), and the executive editor of the Technology, Innovation, and Special Education Research Journal. He is also a founding member of the Mathematical Education Association and a pivotal figure in adapting STEM education models to the Turkish educational framework. Dr. Özel's dedication to educational technology and STEM advancement was recognized through his selection for the prestigious Vanderbilt Global Scholars-in-Residence Program.