Biography

Zeynep Ercan is a Professor of Early Childhood Education, chair of Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Critical Foundations Department and the co-director of Early Childhood Leadership Institute, a professional development and research institute at Rowan University, New Jersey. She leads large scale research, training, and evaluation projects, writes for academic journals, and teaches and speaks on best practices for culturally and linguistically diverse children, teachers, families and communities, intellectual development, and professional development of educators and leaders. Zeynep’s research has appeared in academic journals such as Young Children, Race, Ethnicity and Education, Childhood Education, International Journal of Science Education, Early Childhood Education Journal, and Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education Journal.

Zeynep is actively involved in local, national and global scale educational and social issues by consulting with international educational agencies, serving as board member of CASA of NJ, Vice President for Conferences and President of National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators, a founding board member of Society of North American Scholars, cofounder and cochair of Institute of Academic Excellence, a national academic mentoring program for first generation scholars, and as a volunteer and donor for multiple non-profit and community organizations. She is the recipient of 2014 The Indiana Early Care and Education Award, 2017 Wall of Fame Award for Teaching/Advising at Rowan University, 2020 Excellence in Engagement Award at Rowan University, and 2022 Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award from New Jersey Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NJAECTE). 

Twitter: @isikercanz 

Early Childhood Leadership Institute Blog: https://eclinj.org/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeynep-isik-ercan-ph-d-7a33b2100/