Dr. Sheila Tabanli (she/her) is a STEM educator with a 25+ years of experience in curriculum, instruction, and assessment in K-16 settings. She is currently an

Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Mathematics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Recipient of the 2024 Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence in STEM Diversity award, Dr. Tabanli focuses on bridging the research-to-practice gap in math education. Her innovative approaches, including the creation of interdisciplinary Methods of Mathematical Problem Solving, a course recognized for its purposeful, student-centered approaches, as evidenced by strong student evaluations and improved student achievement in STEM courses. She brings extensive teaching and mentoring experience across multiple countries, with a particular focus on empowering women in STEM and academia on a global scale.

Dr. Tabanli’s research focuses on developing equitable, interactive teaching practices, including her SIPPERS (Self, Instructor, Peer Performance Evaluation Ranking System) and RR2PG (Reducing Research to Practice Gap in Teaching) frameworks. She leads an NSF-supported multidisciplinary STEM faculty group implementing RR2PG to improve instructional practices. Her contributions include journal articles and presentations, a mini course for nationwide higher ed faculty, and several hands-on workshops for students, faculty, and staff.

As a full-time teaching faculty, her work has harvested prestigious grants and recognitions, including multiple travel grants from NSF, a diversity-focused fellowship from the Rutgers Tyler Clementi Center, and the Rutgers Chancellor-Provost Teaching Fellowship.

Beyond her teaching and research, Dr. Tabanli actively serves her academic and local communities. Her roles include membership on the Rutgers Math DEI Committee, the SAS Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarship Committee, and the MAA-NJ Board. She is also a board of trustee member at the Franklin Township Dr. Martin Luther King Community Foundation and serves on the MAA’s Committee on Committees and Councils (CoCC) Subcommittee on Assessment. Dr. Tabanli’s work embodies a deep commitment to advancing equity and innovation in STEM education.