About

Welcome to my personal site! Here’s a little bit of information about myself: My name is Enes Akbuga, and I am currently an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Drake University, which is where I teach mathematics and education courses. I earned my Ph.D. degree in mathematics education from Texas State University and a B.A. degree in mathematics education from Hacettepe University, located in Ankara, Turkey. My research interests include studying STEM major students’ motivation and interest in mathematics settings. In addition, I gained postdoctoral research experience at the University of Michigan, focusing on high school mathematics teaching.

I moved to Des Moines, Iowa, during the summer of 2019 for my new position at Drake University. I lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for one year during my postdoctoral studies between 2018 and 2019. Before that, I was in Texas for six years, which was my first home in the United States. I love TEXAS! I moved to Texas back in 2012 from Turkey, and that’s where I was born and raised! I spent most of my life and completed most of my education in Turkey, including my college education. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a middle school mathematics teacher at public schools in Ankara- the capital city. I originally planned on staying at schools in Turkey to teach mathematics at the middle school level for a while. But I changed my mind to move to the United States to pursue a graduate education. That was a significant decision at such a young age, 22, but I never regretted it!

I consider myself a mathematics educator, by training, since both of my degrees are in that field. I love teaching and helping students learn mathematics. It is very fulfilling to me when mathematics makes sense to students. I hope to make a change in my students’ lives and careers.

When I’m not working at my office or at a coffee shop, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors for hiking, cycling, or camping. I also LOVE traveling. I have taken every opportunity to visit places and learn from other people. I have been to many countries before but hope to see more around the world in the future!