Join me in my journey to advance STEM education. Engage in hands-on projects, connect with like-minded peers, and access valuable resources that will help you thrive in STEM.
About Me
Hi, I’m Ediz, a high school student with a passion for STEM. I love not only learning STEM concepts and engaging in STEM practices, but also sharing my knowledge with others. My journey with STEM began with two simple questions: how and why? I have always been curious about how things work and the reason behind things. From exploring the logic behind math theorems to designing efficient programing algorithms for self-driving cars, I am constantly seeking answers to the questions that spark my curiosity.
I also enjoy learning from others and creating opportunities for people who don’t have access to STEM resources. Helping them engage in quality, fun STEM programs and supporting the development of their STEM identities is an important part of who I am.
STEM isn’t just what I learn – it is also what I share. Join me on this journey to make STEM accessible and exciting for all!
Research
I’m currently conducting research on Autonomous Programming under the supervision of Dr. Shreyas Sundaram, a Marie Gordon Professor at the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue. Dr. Sundaram is an expert on control systems and large-scale networks. My research with Dr. Sundaram focuses on exploring how algorithmic logic meets self-evolving systems—essentially looking at how code can adapt autonomously. After spending three years as the lead autonomous programmer for my VEX Robotics teams in grades 7–9, I decided to dive deeper into the mathematical techniques and models behind autonomous programming. I’m also looking forward to presenting this research at a formal poster presentation and later publishing a research paper.
Here is some information about my STEM outreach activities:
INSPIRE/SCALE K-12 Summer Camps
I have been a part of the INSPIRE/SCALE K-12 program since 8th grade. Every summer, I work alongside an incredible team of graduate students, undergraduates, and professors from Purdue to provide STEM activities for students from grades 1-9. This successful program, led by Dr. Morgan Hynes, has been running for many years, and I’m proud to contribute to its mission.
My role includes assisting in developing new STEM activities, teaching STEM concepts, and collecting research data on how students learn these targeted STEM concepts. I love the creative process – designing new activities, piloting them with the team before the camps, and interviewing campers to hear about their learning experiences and new knowledge!
INSPIRE camps aim to spark interest in microelectronics and encourage students to explore careers in this exciting field. Over the years, we’ve taught a wide range of activities – from coding with micro:bits to building circuits on breadboards. Check out this website to learn more about Micro:bits! https://microbit.org/
It is an honor to collaborate with such a dedicated team and make an impact on hundreds of K-12 students from culturally, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. I am excited to continue being part of this amazing program!
Check out our camps here, https://engineering.purdue.edu/INSPIRE/Workshops/summer-camps and here, https://engineering.purdue.edu/INSPIRE/Resources/scale_k-12
DesignSTEM Conference for Students
I was thrilled to join the DesignSTEM team in 2025! The CATALYST team at Purdue, led by Dr. William Walker, has been offering virtual STEM “conferences” to thousands of elementary and middle school students from rural-area schools since 2018. Each fall and spring, more than 500 elementary students participate in the program.
My role at DesignSTEM includes designing new STEM activities for the program, assisting with teaching students in Zoom sessions, and organizing materials to be shipped to participating schools. For the upcoming May 2026 conference, I’m creating an activity that combines electricity, engineering, and coding using Micro:bits, an exciting way to bring hands-on learning to students virtually! Check out my poster presentation below!
