Özge Gürcanlı Fischer Baum is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Psychological Sciences at Rice University. Her scholarship explores how language, cognition, identity, and social context shape learning and development across the lifespan. Her research has examined language acquisition in children, bilingualism, memory, metacognition, self-efficacy, and the influence of immigration, gender, and cultural identity on learning and educational outcomes.
Dr. Gürcanlı is committed to evidence-based, project-centered teaching that connects psychological science with real-world challenges. She teaches courses in developmental, cognitive, and language sciences, designing collaborative learning experiences that encourage students to apply scientific research to public communication, policy, education, and community engagement. Her courses emphasize curiosity, critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the translation of research into meaningful societal impact.
Before returning to Rice, Dr. Gürcanlı served as Director of Scientific and Public Affairs at the Association for Psychological Science, where she established the organization's first Scientific and Public Affairs department. She led initiatives in science communication, professional development, public policy, and international engagement, creating educational programs that connected researchers, educators, policymakers, and the public.
Throughout her time at Rice, Dr. Gürcanlı has contributed to the university through teaching, mentoring, curriculum development, and student life. She collaborated with the Texas Policy Lab on research-informed educational initiatives, served for four years as a Resident Associate at McMurtry College while also serving as Divisional Advisor for the Social Sciences, advised undergraduate majors in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and contributed to undergraduate curriculum and assessment efforts across the department.
Dr. Gürcanlı earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University and her B.A. in Psychology from Boğaziçi University. She is the recipient of the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching and the Sarah Burnett Teaching Prize for her contributions to student learning and educational innovation.