I am graduated from Science High School in Kayseri Turkey. Hence, my interest in STEM started when I was 14 years old.
Your organization field and mission
Higher Education
The purpose of existence for the Istanbul Technical University is to expand the borders of knowledge and its applications in science, technology and art for contributing to the sustainable community.
Please tell us briefly about your role in the company / at your organization:
I am a Faculty Staff at Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering and leader of the Embedded System Design Laboratory.
Your interest in STEM
My first role model was our Mathematics, Science, Literature and English teachers at Middle school, then Prof. Dr. Ahmet Dervişoğlu at university. My role models at present are Prof. Dr. Ahmet Dervişoğlu from ITU and Prof. Dr Bart Preneel from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
Your studies
My biggest strength was my mother. I was grown up in a small village in Turkey. My mother and aunt are two first university graduates of the village. Hence, my mother always tried to give the best education to me and found out about the opening of a better middle school than the one in the village which was a bit far away in the city. Despite all the suppression tries from the villagers she insisted to send me there.
I am the first student who took place in the Science High School exam, there were many villagers even some teachers continuously said “this was a dream, even if I pass the exam, a girl can not go to a boarding school which is for boys and girls.” This time my grandfather stood up for me and got full responsibility against the villagers. I got full support from my parents through all my education.
Trying to build my own family during Ph.D. study was one of the biggest challenges, I had my first daughter at the fourth year of my Ph.D. With the full support of my husband, I succeeded to finish it. Of course, being a mother of two children and trying to step up the career was the biggest challenge.
My advice is live your life in a balanced way. You can reach any point you want, but do not sacrifice your personal life for that. Find supportive people around you who understand your dreams and are ready to share happiness with you.
You at work
Here are some example projects:
- https://haberler.itu.edu.tr/en/newsdetail/2021/06/22/project-on-the-diversity-of-life-of-ayaza%C4%9Fa-campus
- https://haberler.itu.edu.tr/en/newsdetail/2024/01/30/our-vice-rector-prof-dr-durak-ata-is-on-100-brilliant-and-inspiring-women-in-6g-list
- https://haberler.itu.edu.tr/en/newsdetail/2024/09/26/itu-is-in-turkiye-azerbaijan-university-tau-with-its-industrial-engineering-department
- https://haberler.itu.edu.tr/en/newsdetail/2021/04/19/deepmind-the-world-leader-in-artificial-intelligence-renews-its-scholarship-program-with-itu
Starting the Embedded System Design Laboratory
Always search for new solutions from the literature, do not repeat the past and think everything is solved and there is nothing to improve. Always question the results you get, and others provide.
Your point of view
Women can work from home and have better balance with family. Advanced technology needs brain power instead of body power, hence the advantage of men is decreasing in works!
The opportunities in microelectronics are the same for women and men. It is a high technology area nothing to do with men power, hence girls can work in any level of microelectronics from design to production.
Support for women with children should increase.
No woman should have to choose her career over her family.
To finish with
Be reliable, work hard, try to understand people!
Leading a group of engineers ( women and men) working for my organization.
I will be still a Professor at our university leading some European Union projects.