Curriculum Vitae

Academic Training

2004 –

      • UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Santa Cruz, CA
        Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics
        M.Sc . in Astronomy & Astrophysics
        Advisor: Stephen E. Thorsett (Dean of Physical & Biological Sciences)

2001 – 2004

      • SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE, Baltimore, MD
        Researcher, Consultant

1998 – 2001

      • PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, University Park, PA
        Exchange Fulbright Fellow in Astronomy & Astrophysics

1994 – 1997

      • MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, Ankara, Turkey
        (Early) B.Sc. in Physics (Advanced – High Honors Program)
        Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude (A.P.Cat.), Young Prodigy

       

Honors & Awards

  • 2009   Invited Press conference, panelist at the 214th American Astronomical Society meeting, Pasadena, CA
  • 2004   McLean Fellow, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • 1998 – 2001   Fulbright Fellow
  • 1997   Graduated Summa Cum Laude as Valedictorian in less than three years from a five year Advanced Physics-High Honors Program, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
  • 1997   Presidents Award for academic excellence and potential, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
  • 1995 – 1997  Sonmak Fellowship for Academic achievement, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
  • 1994 – 1997  Presidents High Honors List, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
  • 1994   Ranked 2nd among ~1.5 million examinees (Ed.M. category) in the Nationwide University Entrance Examination, Turkey
  • 1994   Ranked 3rd among ~1.5 million examinees (Ed.P. category) in the Nationwide University Entrance Examination, Turkey
  • 1993  Member of the Physics and Mathematics Olympiad team - selection, Turkey
  • 1992   Young Prodigy Award (national), Turkey
  • 1990   Elected Young Prodigy (national),Turkey
  • 1985   Elected Wunderkind (North-Rein Westfahlen), Germany

News, Media, Press

  • Exclusive interview on cNBC International, NTV, live broadcast of press conference at the 214th American Astronomical Society meeting in Pasadena, California

Talks, Presentations

  • August 2009   Millisecond Pulsar Ages: Implications of Binary Evolution and a Maximum Spin Frequency, University of California, Santa Cruz, Summer FLASH, Santa Cruz, CA
  • June 2009    “Redefining Millisecond Pulsar Ages”, 214th AAS meeting, Press conference presentation, Pasadena, CA
  • April 2009    Constraints on Pulsar Evolution, Neutron Star-Gamma Ray Burst Conference, Cairo/Alexandria Egypt
  • February 2009    “Do All Millisecond Pulsars Share a Common Heritage?”, NSBP/NSHP Conference, Nashville, TN
  • August 2007    “Connecting the Current with the Past: The Spin-Down Evolution of Millisecond Pulsars”, “40 Years of Pulsars” conference, Montreal, Canada
  • August 2007    “Pulsar Astronomy in GLAST era!”, “40 Years of Pulsars” conference, Montreal, Canada
  • January 2007    “The Magnetic Fields, Ages and Period Distribution of Millisecond Pulsars”, American Astronomical Society (AAS) Joint Meeting, Seattle, Washington

  • December 2006    Pulsar Mass Measurements, Texas in Australia, XXIII Meeting on Relativistic Astrophysics, Melbourne, Australia
  • December 2006   Pulsar Physics with GLAST, Texas in Australia, XXIII Meeting on Relativistic Astrophysics, Melbourne, Australia
  • June 2006   “Putting Pulsars on Scale”, SCIPP seminar, Department of Physics, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA
  • May 2006   Pulsar Astronomy with GLAST, Heraeus Meeting: Neutron Star, Pulsars & Supernova Remnants, Bad Honnef, Germany
  • May 2006   Pulsar Mass Measurements, Heraeus Meeting: Neutron Star, Pulsars & Supernova Remnants, Bad Honnef, Germany
  • August 2005   Pulsar Astronomy with GLAST, “A Life with Stars” meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • August 2005   Pulsar Mass Measurements, “A Life with Stars” meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • August 2005   Pulsar Mass Measurements, “Neutron Stars at Crossroads” meeting, Vancouver, Canada
  • August 2005   Neutron Star Physics with GLAST, “Neutron Stars at Crossroads” meeting, Vancouver, Canada
  • May 2005   An Update on the Compact Source in Vela Junior, Graduate Astronomy Seminar, Santa Cruz, CA
  • March 2005   Planets Around Pulsars, University of California, Santa Cruz, Seminar, Santa Cruz, CA
  • April 2001   Exploring the Central Region of SNR RX J0852.0-4622 and a Search for an Optical Counterpart, Pennsylvania State University, Astronomy Lunch Talk, University Park, PA
  • April 2001   “What is the Nature of the X-ray Point Source in SNR J0852.0-4622 ?”,
    Pennsylvania State University, Graduate Lunch meeting, University Park, PA
  • April 2001  The Relative Quantum Efficiency Changes on the ACIS chips,
    Pennsylvania State University, Graduate Lunch meeting, University Park, PA
  • March 2001   The Central X-ray Point Source in Cas A, Pennsylvania State University, Journal Club, University Park, PA
  • February 2001  IR Prospect of Exploring SNR RX J0852.0-4622,
    Pennsylvania State University, IR Group Meeting, University Park, PA
  • November 2000   Accretion Flows Onto Magnetic Compact Objects: AM/DQ Herculis Stars, X-ray Pulsars, Accretion Torques and Magnetic Propellers, Pennsylvania State University, Seminar, University Park, PA
  • October 2000   Evolutionary Paths: Black Widows and Millisecond Pulsars, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
  • October 2000   Periodic Pulses and Millisecond Pulsar Searches at Arecibo,
    Pennsylvania State University, Graduate Lunch meeting, University Park, PA
  • December 1999   Pulsar searches with the PSPM (Penn State Pulsar Machine),
    Pennsylvania State University, Pulsar Group Meeting, University Park, PA
  • November 1999   Pulsar Magnetospheric Emission Mapping, Pennsylvania State University, Journal Club, University Park, PA
  • October 1999   Supernova Dynamics and Pulsar Kicks, Pennsylvania State University, Seminar, University Park, PA
  • September 1999   Drifting Sub-pulses, Pennsylvania State University, Pulsar Group Meeting, University Park, PA
  • November 1998   The Physics of Pulsar Kicks, University of Kansas, Seminar, Lawrence, KS
  • April 1998   Pulsar Kicks, Middle East Technical University, Seminar Ankara, Turkey

  • March 1998   Millisecond Pulsars: Evolution and Population, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
  • March 1998   Radio Properties of X-ray Binaries, Middle East Technical University, Seminar, Ankara, Turkey