Melodi Ozyaprak, Ph.D.

Dr. Melodi Özyaprak currently serves as an assistant professor in the Creativity and Change Leadership program at Buffalo State University. She has held various positions, including the role of associate director of the Research Department at Johns Hopkins University. In this capacity, she led and conducted research on diverse topics, including creativity, curriculum development, gifted education, talent search, diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. Dr. Özyaprak also provided leadership to the research team, managing budgets and hiring staff members.

Before joining at Johns Hopkins University, she worked as an assistant professor at Istanbul University, specializing in Gifted Education. During her academic journey, she had the opportunity to be a visiting scholar at the University of Connecticut with Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli in 2017 and at the University of Georgia as a visiting scholar in the Gifted and Creative Education Program in 2008.

Dr. Özyaprak earned her B.S. in Mathematics and Science Education from Istanbul University, and she holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Gifted Education from the same institution. She has taught various courses such as "Development of Creativity", “Theories of Creativity”, “Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Gifted Individuals", “Teaching Critical Thinking", and "Teaching Mathematics to Gifted Elementary Students." Additionally, she is the author of several chapters focusing on topics like differentiating math curriculum, out-of-school programs and opportunities, mathematics and creativity, creativity of gifted students, and designing educational programs for gifted and talented students.