Turkish Academics in America - Turk of America

TOA Awards 2026 Finalists - Science, Research & Academia

The **Science, Research & Academia** category recognizes internationally distinguished scholars, scientists, researchers, and educators whose groundbreaking work has advanced scientific knowledge, technological innovation, and higher education. These finalists have made significant contributions through research, teaching, academic leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthening the global reputation of Turkish scholars and researchers.

June 29, 2026
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From Father to Son: The Uzel Family's Legacy in Dentistry

Dr. İlhan Uzel graduated from one of Türkiye’s top medical schools, Hacettepe University, in 1992. In addition to practicing as a clinician, he pursued both specialization and doctoral studies.
Driven by a desire to further his expertise in periodical diseases and implantology, Dr. Uzel made a pivotal decision to move to the United States. He chose Boston University among many other respected teaching institutions that he received acceptance from. Boston is universally known as a biomedical research city and advancement in general, Boston University school of Dental Medicine has been one of the fundamental schools shaping up Dental Research, and of course, one of Dr. Uzel ‘s favorite sports basketball and favorite player Larry Bird wore the Boston Celtics jersey.

January 21, 2025
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Honoring Dr. Banu Onaral: A Lifelong Champion of Knowledge and Progress

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Dr. Banu Onaral came from a lineage deeply rooted in innovation. Her mother, Şükûfe Demirağ, was the daughter of Nuri Demirağ, a pioneer in Turkish aviation and industry, while her father, Mehmet Kum, was one of Turkey’s first aircraft engineers and pilots. This environment nurtured her passion for learning and exploration from an early age. Dr. Onaral attended Notre Dame de Sion French Girls’ High School in Istanbul and pursued higher education at Boğaziçi University, earning a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering. She completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. Joining Drexel University in 1981, she became the H. H. Sun Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and later, the Founding Director of Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.

January 21, 2025
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Banu Onaral

Empowering Women Through Technology: Lara Ozkan’s Vision for Inclusive Health Solutions

Lara Özkan's journey into the realms of Computer Science and Molecular Biology is a testament to her passion for solving complex biological problems through innovative research. Her academic path began as a wet-lab researcher at the Izmir Institute of Technology, where she worked on a project aimed at targeting breast cancer with nanocarriers for combinational drug delivery. This experience opened her eyes to the potential of integrating deep biological understanding with computational science skills. Unlike many who specialize in either biology or computer science, Özkan found a deep interest in the intersection of both fields. The high-dimensional and complex data emerging from biological samples intrigued her, driving her to use computer science tools to decode these intricate puzzles. This led her to delve into data science for biology and conduct computational biology research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. These experiences have paved the way for her current academic career at MIT, where she is pursuing dual majors in Computer Science and Molecular Biology and engaging in computational biology research at the MIT Media Lab and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).

January 21, 2025
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Outstanding Turkish American Scientists and Scholars

Turkish-American scientists and scholars have great success and achievements in the last year. Undoubltly, the most successful and known scientists are the husband-and-wife team behind the leading vaccine to solve Covid-19. The German company BioNTech, founded by Dr. Uğur Şahin and Dr. Özlem Türeci, has teamed up with Pfizer on a vaccine that was found to be more than 90 percent effective. Beside Şahin and Türeci, several Turkish-American scientists and scholars also draw attention in the academic circles of the U.S.

September 13, 2021
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F-1 Students Seeking Optional Practical Training Can Now File Form I-765 Online

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that F-1 students seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online if they are filing under one of these categories: (c)(3)(A) – Pre-Completion OPT; (c)(3)(B) – Post-Completion OPT; and (c)(3)(C) – 24-Month Extension of OPT for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.
OPT is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before completing their academic studies (pre-completion) and/or after completing their academic studies (post-completion). Eligible F-1 students who receive STEM degrees may apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT.

April 14, 2021
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Mentora College of Business & Technology (MCBT) Announces Pathway Agreement with Georgian College

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2020 /CNW/ - Mentora College of Business & Technology (MCBT), part of the BAU Global Education Network, today announced the establishment of a program pathway agreement with Georgian College one of Ontario's leading public colleges. Through the partnership agreement, students who complete MCBT's 48 week diploma program in Business Administration Management will receive six course exemptions towards Georgian College's 2-year Business Diploma program with Co-op and the 3-year Business Administration Advanced Diploma. In addition, MCBT students completing Mentora's 48-week Hotel Management program will receive six course exemptions towards Georgian College's 2-year Hospitality - Hotel and Resort Operations Management Diploma with Co-op and the 3-year Hospitality Administration Advanced Diploma.

November 12, 2020
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Candan Tamerler, Ph.D. Elected as President of TASSA

Candan Tamerler, Ph.D. was elected as President of the Turkish American Scientists & Scholars Association (TASSA). Dr. Tamerler is a Wesley G. Cramer Professor and Associate Dean of Research at the University of Kansas School of Engineering.

May 17, 2020
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Daron Acemoglu is Named Institute Professor at MIT

Turkish American economist Daron Acemoglu has been named Institute Professor, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) highest faculty honor. Professor Acemoglu is now one of the 12 Institute Professors, along with 11 Institute Professors Emeriti. Professor Acemoglu has been promoted to the rank of Institute Professor in recognition of his “significant impacts in diverse fields of economics.” The honor is an “exceptional distinction by a combination of leadership, accomplishment, and service in the scholarly, educational, and general intellectual life of the Institute and wider community.”

July 10, 2019
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Prominent Turkish Historian Kemal Karpat Dies at Age 96

Internationally acclaimed Turkish historian Kemal Karpat died on Feb. 20 in the United States aged 96. Karpat, an expert on the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkish history, was an emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He had celebrated his 96th birthday on Feb. 15. Professor Karpat taught in Department of History of University of Wisconsin-Madison for 36 years, from 1967 until his retirement in 2003. His research pioneered the study of late Ottoman history, and focused on the rise of ethnic nationalism and Islamic political discourse. He leaves a rich legacy as one of the leading Ottoman historians of his generation. He also will be remembered for his contributions to the study of Ottoman History in higher education. During his time at UW-Madison, Karpat served as director of the Center for Turkish Studies, and contributed funds to its endowment. Karpat also endowed a professorship in Ottoman and Turkish History, which is currently held by Professor Daniel Stolz.

July 1, 2019
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Brian Rose with Reyhan Ozgur, Deputy Consul General of Republic of Turkey in New York.

Bridging Cultures Through Archaeology: Exploring Ancient Turkey for 40 Years

Charles Brian Rose is an American archaeologist, classical scholar, and author. He is the James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania in the Classical Studies Department and the Graduate Group in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World. After graduating from Haverford in 1978, Rose pursued his Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology at Columbia University. Concentrating on the Roman Imperial period, his interests expanded to include the eastern Mediterranean, where he took part in New York University’s excavation at Aphrodisias, Turkey, and the uncovering there of a large and extremely well-preserved early 1st century AD sanctuary dedicated to the Imperial Cult (the cult of the emperors). His thesis, completed in 1987 and published in 1997 by Cambridge University Press, examined the sculpture, coins, and inscriptions associated with the Imperial Cult throughout the Mediterranean world during the period demarked by the life of Julius Caesar (100–44 BC) through to the suicide of Nero in AD 68.

July 1, 2019
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Brian Rose

Prof McCarthy: “History Books Do Often Treat Turks Unfairly”

Justin A. McCarthy is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar of the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey and the Middle East. He has published eleven books, most recently The Armenian Rebellion at Van (2006). In 1996 University of Louisville recognized him with the Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity. He holds an honorary doctorate from Boğaziçi University, Turkey, and is a board member of the Institute of Turkish Studies and the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVIM). McCarthy served in the Peace Corps in Turkey in 1969, where he taught at Middle East Technical University and Ankara University.

July 1, 2019
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Turkey Bids Farewell to Renowned Historian Kemal Karpat

The last rites of internationally acclaimed historian Kemal Karpat were performed on Feb. 25 in a state ceremony. Karpat died of natural causes on Feb. 20 in the U.S. at the age of 96. In a funeral ceremony held at Istanbul University, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the Turkish people should follow his footsteps and pursue "even greater" academic achievements. "He was able to approach the old debates of Turkey in a much more realistic and moderate way," Erdoğan said. Erdoğan said the birthplace of the historian, Dobruja region of Romania, could seem far from Turkey today, but Karpat was born to Turkish parents.

February 26, 2019
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kemal karpat

Prominent Turkish Historian Kemal Karpat Dead in US at 96

Internationally acclaimed Turkish historian Kemal Karpat died on Feb. 20 in the United States aged 96, a Turkish official said. Turkish Consul General in Chicago Umut Acar told Anadolu Agency that Karpat died of multi-organ failure in Madison, Wisconsin at around 6.40 p.m (1240GMT). Karpat, an expert on the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkish history, was an emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He celebrated his 96th birthday on Feb. 15, said Acar.

February 24, 2019
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