AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Hoosier Educator Award for Higher Education (2014). Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children.
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Nominated by students
Colleague Testimonials
She demonstrates the qualities of an excellent mentor. Without fail, she makes herself available for questions and has frequently shared her experience, knowledge and expertise. Personally, the most important quality I appreciate is she actively listens, guides, directs and provides opportunities for growth. Dr. Isik-Ercan has the ability to make her mentees feel like they have a seat at the table. Dr. Isik-Ercan is a professional, an asset to this department, devoted to improving and bringing out the best in people. It is a pleasure to work with her.” M.H. Adjunct Professor, Field Supervisor
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"Dr. Zeynep Isik-Ercan has been an invaluable asset to both the growth of my center and my own development as a professional in the fields of early childhood education and higher education. She guided the center through a transition in curriculum and philosophy and was always available for both formal professional development and informal support throughout the process. Using information gained from that process, Zeynep encouraged my to submit and conduct my first presentation at a national conference. Both within the university and without, Zeynep is recognized as leader in the field as well as one of the hardest working individuals. It is universally agreed upon that she is the type of person who raises up everyone around her. She pushes you just enough so that you continue to grow as a professional, in many cases without even realizing she is doing so. At the conclusion of every conversation, even casual ones, with Zeynep I walk away having learned something new." L.W. Adjunct Professor, Child Care and Education Program Director
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"She keenly understood my challenges and needs as a junior faculty member who is from different cultural background, relating to her own experiences in different cultural contexts, and always listened with caring and concern.
She always created a safe environment in which I could bring any issues from my teaching/research practices to personal issues, and what I found worked very well was that she did not outwardly make quick judgments, rather she challenged and assisted me to explore and reframe the situations and issues, still empathizing and validating my experiences. Dr. Ercan was fully committed to helping me find success and gratification in my profession, empowering me to develop my own strengths, beliefs, and attributes. Thanks to her careful guidance and constructive feedback, I can see myself filling the mentor’s roles in the future.” H.Y. Former Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education at Rowan Unv.
Wall of Fame – Excellence in Teaching (2017). Rowan University, NJ.
Wall of Fame – Excellence in Advising (2017). Rowan University, NJ.
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Student Nomination Letters
Award nomination by graduated student for excellence in advising: “I must nominate this extremely hardworking and dedicated woman. She made such an amazing impact on my professional and personal life. Honestly, without her, I may have not made it through the intense program. I went to college for five years and I can truly say that she was the most influential professor and director that I’ve ever had. She should be recognized, especially because she is so humble about it and I believe this award would be a great way to honor her.”
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​Award nomination by graduated student for excellence in teaching: “I attended Rowan for a total of three years and had the pleasure and amazing opportunity of working with Dr. Ercan. She was one of my first professors and right away she had an upbeat and positive energy. I could tell her how passionate she was about not only education, but also how she was going to enlighten us with her knowledge. Each class she made me believe that I could grow to become an effective teacher and I was excited to go to every class. She made me feel comfortable, confident and enthusiastic about becoming a future educator. Classes began getting more and more intense and Dr. Ercan being co-director of the Early Childhood Program was an even more prominent role model for me. She was able to answer all of my questions, address my fears and make me feel as though I had someone on my side. Dr. Ercan wasn’t a cookie cutter professor, she was different, in the best way. If it wasn’t for all of her long hours at the office, dedication to us students and determination to make us more knowledgeable about our field, I wouldn’t be a current confident Kindergarten teacher.”
Expert Evaluations
Rethinking “Parent Involvement”: Perspectives of Immigrant and Refugee Parents offers educators and teacher educators an opportunity to re-conceptualize the current discourses around refugee parents as protagonists. Dr. Isik-Ercan demonstrates the significance in equity through access across populations as she suggests parents have the potential to be funds of knowledge and share their cultural assets if given access to coparticipation. Dr. W.P.
While there have been studies that describe the experiences of immigrant children, their families and schooling, most of this work is descriptive and provides few exemplars of how teachers can use these children’s strengths in the classroom. Dr. Isik-Ercan’s research is innovative in this regard as she writes for both practitioners and scholars alike, providing tangible examples of how educators can partner with parents and build on the knowledge and experiences immigrant children bring with them to school. Dr. S.R.
Alumni Emails
“I was thinking of you because I just finished up giving my 3rd presentation for my county! I was asked by the head of the Early Childhood Department and administration to present on effective teaching practices and growth mindset in children. In my presentation, I mentioned you and how much you impacted me throughout my years at Rowan. You were/are a huge inspiration to educators and I wouldn't be the teacher I am today (going on my 3rd year) without your motivation and dedication to the field.”
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“I’m in my third year of teaching pre-K 4 in the Paterson public school system…I was thinking of you because I just started taking classes for my master’s degree in early childhood. My district offers a tuition reimbursement program, and I remember you saying how important it was to have early childhood professionals with higher education degrees. Last week, I was reading one of my assignments and there was a citation that looked so familiar. I looked it up and realized it was actually our textbook that we used in your class! So funny. I think of the things we learned during those courses a great deal. Thank you for making your coursework so relevant and applicable.”