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ABOUT ME

My favorite quote:

"Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In my day I was told women didn't go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn't." 

-Gertrude Elion

(Nobel Prize-winning biochemist )

At Subaru Telescope.

I am an astrophysicist, who studies the faintest and most dark-matter-dominated galaxies in the universe.

When I was little, I admired the stars at the night sky. Now, as an astrophysicist, I have the tools to reach those stars and I want to learn more about the Universe and how it came to be the way it is today. I simply enjoy feeding my curiosity and following my passion to discover.

My academic career began with a B.S. in physics from Bilkent University in Turkey, followed by a master's degree from Texas Tech University. I received my Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. After three years of postdoctoral research at the University of Arizona and two years of NSF and KICP Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University of Chicago, I am now an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College. I use large photometric surveys to discover and characterize the smallest and faintest galaxies in the universe, and the role of dark matter in their formation. My research sometimes takes me to cool observatories like Maunakea Observatories, Las Campanas Observatory, and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

My background: My grandparents lived their lives in small farming towns, and they even did not have a chance to learn how to read or write. My parents grew up in these small towns. Due to the economic pressures, they were expected to support their families. At those years, most students in their towns were in elementary school until they were eighteen years old. They did not have any role models or any support from parents, and they were mostly busy with house or farm chores. My father was different, as he was so successful that he skipped a grade in elementary school. But, unfortunately, he was forced to drop out of school after the fifth grade to take care of his parents. My mother also dropped out of school after the fifth grade because women were not supposed to have any higher education than that in her small town. My parents' experiences motivated me to do whatever it takes to live my dream, but my path was not easy. My family had been criticized for "letting" me move away for my education because "Young women should not live away from the family". Faculty members and advisors are really important for first-generation students to realize their potential. Unfortunately, I did not receive the necessary support structure. On the first day of college, a male professor questioned my presence in the department by saying "Are you crazy? You are a woman, and you left your hometown to study physics?". In each of these challenges, I reminded myself that I do not want to blend in, I want to stand out, so I fought against all these stereotypes and worked hard to live beyond the labels.

While contributing to my field through research, I actively serve on many organizations (e.g., American Astronomical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and many more) to improve the climate for women and other minorities; and I give back to the community through impactful educational media programs intended to show that science can be both enjoyable and reachable for anyone, especially for women and other marginalized groups.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Structure, Morphology, and Dynamics  of Nearby Galaxies

Dwarf Galaxies, Stellar Halos, Globular Clusters around Nearby Galaxies

Peculiar Ringed Galaxies

Hoag-type Galaxies, Accretion Rings, Resonance Rings, Secular Evolution, Galaxy-Galaxy Interactions

Black Holes

Supermassive Black Holes, Intermediate Mass Black Holes, Black Hole Scaling Relations

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EDUCATION

2017, Ph.D.University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA

2012, M. Sc.Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

2009, B.Sc.Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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HONORS

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