3 BS Alumni

She (EE) received her undergraduate and Master of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Özyeğin University. She is now a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Physics at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz with her research in quantum computing and processors. She has always been curious to explore and understand the universe because just what we saw was not enough. As a result, she found myself becoming a scientist. She has seen theoretical objects which are common in different fields. Also, an important step in her journey was to learn algorithmic thinking which came with an object-oriented programming training.

I have always tried to understand physical correspondences of theoretical objects and wondered about transitions from theoretical formulations to experimental implementations. She had the opportunity to research in the field of underwater optical wireless communications and quantum key distribution. She had a chance to publish articles, join collaborations and patent her works.

Birce received her bachelor’s degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Ozyegin University. During her undergraduate education, she developed an interest in supply chain management and acquired skills in the field through relevant coursework. She participated in Unilever’s Supply Chain Reaction Project in her senior year, gaining valuable experience that allowed her to bridge the gap between theory and practice. She also took on roles in extracurricular activities throughout bachelor’s, such as serving as a peer advisor in OZU Peer Advisor Program and being a member of student clubs.

She pursued her education by commencing a master’s program within the same department, where she focused her research on humanitarian logistics and disaster management with the motivation of making contributions to society. She enhanced her proficiency in applying advanced analytical methods and Operations Research techniques to support decision-making in the related fields. Additionally, she served as a teaching assistant during her master’s studies, which further honed her academic and professional skills.

She is currently in her third year as a Ph.D. student at HEC Montréal, specializing in the Department of Logistics and Operations Management. Her doctoral thesis focuses on humanitarian supply chain network design and management. She has received prestigious awards and scholarships in recognition of her academic achievements during her doctoral studies, including Merit Scholarship Program for Foreign Students (PBEEE), Foundation J. Armand Bombardier Scholarship, and CIRRELT Doctoral Excellence Scholarship.

Tolga Aydın (CE) successfully completed his civil engineering undergraduate studies, along with an electrical and electronic engineering minor program graduating with a GPA of 3.47 in 2022, ranking second among his peers. During his undergraduate studies, he volunteered as a teaching assistant for MATH 104, MATH 212, and MATH 211 courses.

On the academic front, he participated as an undergraduate scholarship holder in the TÜBİTAK project titled "Production of Prototypes by Additive Manufacturing Method Using Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Mortars (GEO-3B)" under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Başaran Bundur. The outcomes of the final project, conducted with his team, were presented in a paper titled "Utilization of Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) for Soil Improvement" at the 2^nd National Symposium of Young Geotechnical Engineers, hosted by the Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Division, Erciyes University, on September 28, 2022, and recognized as the 'best paper' by the Board of Directors.

He is currently pursuing his master's degree at Özyeğin University. In the first year of his master's program, he worked on the TÜBİTAK project titled "Production of Fiber-Reinforced Cement-Based Composites with 3D Printers". His current research focuses on the design of a fiber-reinforced single-piece geopolymer mortar suitable for 3D printer technology, utilizing waste stone wool.