Ph.D., Program Director

Dr. Coppola is an Associate Professor of Science Education and coordinator of Secondary Education and Elementary STEM at Purdue University Fort Wayne. He obtained his Ph.D. in Theory and Practice in Teacher Education from the University of Tennessee and a B.A. in Physics from Berea College. A former high school physics teacher, Science Olympiad coach, and co-founder of FRC Team 4265, Dr. Coppola continues to engage K-12 students through service as director of the Northeast Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair and as a summer camp teacher for the Appalachian Institute for Creative Learning in North Carolina. His research focuses on methods of preparing teachers to teach engineering in elementary schools as well as facilitating and organizing science fairs.