Rice University
Betul Orcan-Ekmekci, Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE TEACHING PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS
Rice University
I am a mathematician and educator in the Department of Mathematics at Rice University, where I have taught since 2011 and served as an Associate Teaching Professor since 2023. My research focuses on nonlinear partial differential equations, free boundary problems, fluid dynamics, and homogenization.
Teaching
Enter with curiosity. Leave with confidence.
Teaching and mentoring undergraduate students are central to my work at Rice. I aim to create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, exploring ideas, making connections, and developing confidence as independent mathematical thinkers.
I coordinate Rice Mathematics' Directed Reading Program, which pairs undergraduates with graduate student and faculty mentors for independent study projects, and I advise undergraduate research.
Directed Reading Program → Courses & Seminars →Teaching Recognition
- 2025 George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching
- 2024 George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching
- 2024 Outstanding Teaching Award Wiess School of Natural Sciences
- 2023 George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching
- 2021 George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching
Research
My research focuses on nonlinear partial differential equations and their applications, including free boundary problems, fluid dynamics, and homogenization.
Nonlinear PDEs
Analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations and their applications.
Free Boundary Problems
Geometry, regularity, and homogenization of free boundary problems.
Fluid Dynamics
Mathematical analysis and modeling of fluid systems.
Homogenization
Stationary ergodic and layered homogenization for free boundary problems.
Mathematics Education
Teaching, mentoring, and innovative approaches to undergraduate mathematics.
Selected Publications
- T. J. Pinheiro dos Santos, B. Orcan-Ekmekci, W. G. Chapman, P. M. Singer, D. N. Asthagiri, Theory and modeling of molecular modes in the NMR relaxation of fluids, The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 160, Issue 6, 2024.
- V. Hoang, B. Orcan-Ekmekci, M. Radosz, H. Yang, Blowup with vorticity control for a 2d model of the Boussinesq equations, Journal of Differential Equations 264 (12), 7328–7356.
- B. Orcan-Ekmekci, On the Geometry and Regularity of Largest Subsolutions for a Free Boundary Problem in R²: Elliptic Case, Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations (2013), 1–26.
- T. J. Pinheiro dos Santos, B. Orcan-Ekmekci, W. G. Chapman, P. M. Singer, D. N. Asthagiri, Extended molecular eigenmodes treatment of dipole-dipole NMR relaxation in real fluids, The Journal of Chemical Physics, 2025 (accepted).
- M. Aqazade, R. McGraw, M. Daley, C. Callard, B. Orcan-Ekmekci, Strengthening Teacher Leadership: Exploring the Role of Professional Development and Teacher Retention, 2024 (submitted).
Education
Ph.D. Mathematics, UT Austin (2010)
M.Sc. Mathematics, Boğaziçi University (2005)
B.Sc. Mathematics, Boğaziçi University (2003)