Mehmet Aydeniz
Professor of STEM
Department of Theory & Practice in Teacher Education
College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
As a Faculty Fellow with the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS), Mehmet Aydeniz has been instrumental in helping CECS build momentum during a period of growth and experimentation. A faculty member in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Aydeniz’s insight and experience in STEM, particularly his interest around AI and education, has supported the development of collaborative research efforts that bridge disciplinary boundaries and respond to real-world challenges.
His research efforts as a Professor of Stem Education have focused on improving instructional quality both in K-12 and college science classrooms for ambitious and equitable teaching. This includes teacher self-efficacy to implement argumentation-pedagogy, teacher noticing, teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge for inquiry and modeling.
Reflecting on his experience, Aydeniz emphasizes the distinctive environment CECS provides for faculty collaboration and innovation:
“Serving as a Faculty Fellow with the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,” he said. “CECS creates a genuinely collaborative environment where interdisciplinary ideas are supported and translated into action, with outstanding staff support throughout the process. Through this community, I have worked with faculty across disciplines to develop new ideas and curriculum and to pursue ambitious projects that have led to successful large-scale grant proposals, demonstrating a clear return on investment for faculty engagement and greater community impact.”