Today, USC Rossier School of Education announced that Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, associate professor of education at USC Rossier, has been selected as the next Katzman/Ernst Chair for Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation.
This prestigious endowed chair position was established by John Katzman, the founder of Princeton Review, and his wife, Alicia Ernst, to develop exceptional and highly innovative practices and technologies to bolster K–12 education across America.
The Katzman/Ernst Chair for Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation regularly convenes groups of multidisciplinary scholars to leverage their expertise and the vast potential of 21st century technology to address the challenges afflicting our education system head-on.
Copur-Gencturk was selected because her scholarship has been characterized by innovation and excellence. She has authored seminal research related to teaching and learning in mathematics and STEM education. Her recent research on how artificial intelligence can be used to support professional development for middle school math teachers and improve student performance is groundbreaking. Her results have shown that AI can serve as a promising tool to create effective, scalable professional development programs for teachers. Copur-Gencturk was also recently awarded a grant of nearly $2 million from the National Science Foundation to further study AI-powered professional development models to improve math instruction.
“I am honored to be selected as the next Katzman/Ernst Chair for Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation,” said Copur-Gencturk. “Since this endowed chair was established in 2008, my predecessors have utilized the immense research capacities across USC to strengthen K–12 education throughout the United States. As chair, I look forward to continuing this legacy and producing high-impact research with my colleagues that will transform the experiences of students and teachers alike. Together, we will work to address the underlying causes of inequity in our K–12 education system and create an environment that produces stronger educational outcomes for all,” Copur-Gencturk concluded.
“Yasemin has harnessed the power of generative AI and other groundbreaking technologies to develop instructional methods in mathematics that reinvigorate teachers to produce better learning experiences and outcomes for STEM students,” said Pedro Noguera, dean of USC Rossier School of Education. “Her efforts have made her a leading researcher on this topic nationally. Based on her track record I am confident that she will fulfill the goal of the Katzman/Ernst Chair for Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation through her research and the partnerships she will develop to address the challenges impacting our nation’s K–12 education system. On behalf of the entire USC Rossier community, I congratulate Yasemin Copur-Gencturk on this well-deserved honor,” Noguera concluded.
Yasemin Copur-Gencturk
- Associate Professor of Education
