The Team

Mete Akcaoglu, Ph.D


Dr. Akcaoglu is the lead PI in this project. He coordinates the project and guides the PD, game-design curriculum development, teaching, and research efforts. He has been designing,developing, and researching the Game Design and Learning curricula for a decade. He has published the results from this work at well-esteemed journals and has been promoting game-design as a computer-science course in K-12 schools. He frequently interacts with teachers and offers PD on technology integration at the Innovation Studio where he is a co-founder.

Selçuk Doğan, Ph.D.


Dr. Doğan is a co-PI in this project. He will lead the PD and research/evaluation efforts. He has developed FtF, online, and hybrid PD programs and facilitated PLC across K-12 teachers for 10 years. His research expertise is on examining the effects of PD and PLCs on teacher and student outcomes. Currently, he is leading and evaluating an international project in which teachers co-develop unit plans. He also holds an instructional coach trainer certificate.

Meke Akcaoglu, Ph.D

Charles B. Hodges, Ph.D.


Dr. Hodges is a co-PI in this project. He supports the PD curriculum development, and research/evaluation efforts, specifically in teacher motivation. He conducted research in this capacity as a sub-award to NSF award #0918618. He served as PI for an externally funded project or teacher PD funded through the U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership program. His prior research with learner motivation will be applied in the application of ARCS to the curriculum development for Project GAME and he will facilitate the Project GAME teacher PLC.

Andrew Allen, Ph.D.


Dr. Allen is a co-PI in this project. Currently, he is a PI of the NSF funded SEP-CyLE – Software Engineering and Programming Cyberlearning Environment that supports student learning and engagement strategies for computer science courses. He has extensive experience in teaching computer science and computer science education. In Project GAME, he guides and supports the integration and teaching of computer science concepts in the curriculum, as well as during the professional development and curriculum implementation.