Dr. Sheila Tabanli is an Associate Teaching Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick and a globally recognized leader in STEM education. With over 25 years of experience across K–16 classrooms, her work focuses on expanding access and opportunity by bridging the gap between research and practice through asset-based, evidence-driven approaches.
Grounded in cognitive science and social-emotional learning, she developed an interdisciplinary course that has produced longitudinal evidence of reduced DFW rates in gateway math courses. Recognized by students as a “trendsetter” and “game changer,” this work led to the development of the RR2PG (Reducing the Research-to-Practice Gap) instructional framework and the CONNECT-STEM Community of Practice, a cross-disciplinary faculty network advancing inclusive, evidence-based teaching.
As a Rutgers fellow, she authored a guidebook and developed the 3C Pedagogical Model (Compassionate, Connected, and Community-centered learning through cognitive apprenticeship). A recipient of the Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence in Broadening STEM Access Award and the 2026 NJ STEM Educator of the Year Award, Dr. Tabanli is deeply inspired by her students’ resilience and committed to empowering the next generation of diverse STEM leaders. Her scholarship has been featured in Forbes, Inside Higher Ed, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.