Board Members
Ali Erdem Özcan (President)
Erdem finished his B.S. in Telecommunication Engineering at the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble in France and obtained his Masters in Microelectronics Engineering from the same university in 2003. He then started a Ph.D. in Computer Science while working as a researcher for an international company. After finishing his Ph.D. in 2007, and working in his field for five years, he decided to move to Canada in 2008. He is currently a researcher in embedded computing. He enjoys photography and outdoor activities such as canoeing, camping, and skiing.
Sertan Gün (Vice President)
He moved to Ottawa in 2002. In 2006 he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Ottawa and worked in several telecommunication companies both in Ontario and California since 2004. At the end of 2010 he moved back to Ottawa and transferred from California to Ottawa office. Currently he is working in the telecommunication industry and doing his Masters in Engineering Management. He loves Ottawa and always reminds us how great it is to live Ottawa. All sorts of outdoor activities, photography, and long distance bicycle tours are a part of his live. He enjoys international films and some of his favorite directors are Kieslowski, Haneke, Kurosawa, Kubrick, Scorsese, De Palma, Ford Coppola, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Tom Tykwer.
Şebnem Gavin (Treasurer)
She moved to Vancouver in 2003 to start her PhD degree at the University of British Columbia. In 2009 during the final stages of her doctorate, she moved to Ottawa and started working as an economist at the Competition Bureau, Industry Canada. She received her PhD diploma in 2010. Before moving to Ottawa, Sebnem was very active in the Turkish Canadian Society of Vancouver. She has participated and given concerts in international festivals and in varies activities of the Turkish community both with her own music band and with the Turkish Music Choir in Vancouver. She continues to sing with the Ottawa Turkish Music Choir.
Umut Rıza Özkan (General Secretary)
Umut graduated from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Middle East Technical University in 2005. He received his master's degree from the same department in 2007. Since 2007, he continues to work on a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University in Ottawa. His academic interests include comparative labor market and social policy, historical institutionalism, and international development. He is currently living in Ottawa and after graduating he plans to settle down in Ottawa. In his leisure time, he likes fishing and hiking.
Bekir Akça (Member)
Bekir was graduated from TED Aliaga College in 2005. He came to Ottawa for his English as a Second Language studies in 2006. He started to pursue Political Science and International Relations degree at Carleton University in 2008 and he is currently fourth year student. Bekir took his first executive position at the Turkish Canadian Cultural Association in 2008. Moreover, he had acted as the president of the Carleton Turkish Student Association between 2008 and 2010. He enjoys photography and he spends his free time exploring new places in Canada. Furthermore, since Bekir is very enthusiastic about Turkish Folk and Turkish Classical Music, he has been joining the Ottawa Turkish Classical Music Choir practices and concerts for 3 years.
İsmail Turan (Member)
He received his undergrad, master and PhD degrees in Physics from Middle East Technical university, Ankara, Turkey. Then he moved to North America in 2003 to continue his research in High Energy Physics and spent some time in the College of William and Mary, Virginia, USA and Concordia University, Montreal before joining Carleton Physics department as research associate in September 2009. Being physicist and exploring the secrets of universe was his adolescent dream. He strongly believes that science rules everything and physics is as pure as science can get. In his spare time, if there is any, he enjoys exploring nature, visiting new places, practicing yoga and watching movies. Recently he is keen on European directors and movies.
2010 - 2011 Board Members:
Ali Erdem Özcan, Zeynep Özlem Çankaya, Songül Kovancı, Umut Rıza Özkan, Meltem Tepe
Erdem finished his B.S. in Telecommunication Engineering at the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble in France and obtained his Masters in Microelectronics Engineering from the same university in 2003. He then started a Ph.D. in Computer Science while working as a researcher for an international company. After finishing his Ph.D. in 2007, and working in his field for five years, he decided to move to Canada in 2008. He is currently a researcher in embedded computing. He enjoys photography and outdoor activities such as canoeing, camping, and skiing.
Sertan Gün (Vice President)
He moved to Ottawa in 2002. In 2006 he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Ottawa and worked in several telecommunication companies both in Ontario and California since 2004. At the end of 2010 he moved back to Ottawa and transferred from California to Ottawa office. Currently he is working in the telecommunication industry and doing his Masters in Engineering Management. He loves Ottawa and always reminds us how great it is to live Ottawa. All sorts of outdoor activities, photography, and long distance bicycle tours are a part of his live. He enjoys international films and some of his favorite directors are Kieslowski, Haneke, Kurosawa, Kubrick, Scorsese, De Palma, Ford Coppola, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Tom Tykwer.
Şebnem Gavin (Treasurer)
She moved to Vancouver in 2003 to start her PhD degree at the University of British Columbia. In 2009 during the final stages of her doctorate, she moved to Ottawa and started working as an economist at the Competition Bureau, Industry Canada. She received her PhD diploma in 2010. Before moving to Ottawa, Sebnem was very active in the Turkish Canadian Society of Vancouver. She has participated and given concerts in international festivals and in varies activities of the Turkish community both with her own music band and with the Turkish Music Choir in Vancouver. She continues to sing with the Ottawa Turkish Music Choir.
Umut Rıza Özkan (General Secretary)
Umut graduated from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Middle East Technical University in 2005. He received his master's degree from the same department in 2007. Since 2007, he continues to work on a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University in Ottawa. His academic interests include comparative labor market and social policy, historical institutionalism, and international development. He is currently living in Ottawa and after graduating he plans to settle down in Ottawa. In his leisure time, he likes fishing and hiking.
Bekir Akça (Member)
Bekir was graduated from TED Aliaga College in 2005. He came to Ottawa for his English as a Second Language studies in 2006. He started to pursue Political Science and International Relations degree at Carleton University in 2008 and he is currently fourth year student. Bekir took his first executive position at the Turkish Canadian Cultural Association in 2008. Moreover, he had acted as the president of the Carleton Turkish Student Association between 2008 and 2010. He enjoys photography and he spends his free time exploring new places in Canada. Furthermore, since Bekir is very enthusiastic about Turkish Folk and Turkish Classical Music, he has been joining the Ottawa Turkish Classical Music Choir practices and concerts for 3 years.
İsmail Turan (Member)
He received his undergrad, master and PhD degrees in Physics from Middle East Technical university, Ankara, Turkey. Then he moved to North America in 2003 to continue his research in High Energy Physics and spent some time in the College of William and Mary, Virginia, USA and Concordia University, Montreal before joining Carleton Physics department as research associate in September 2009. Being physicist and exploring the secrets of universe was his adolescent dream. He strongly believes that science rules everything and physics is as pure as science can get. In his spare time, if there is any, he enjoys exploring nature, visiting new places, practicing yoga and watching movies. Recently he is keen on European directors and movies.
2010 - 2011 Board Members:
Ali Erdem Özcan, Zeynep Özlem Çankaya, Songül Kovancı, Umut Rıza Özkan, Meltem Tepe