Ayça Arslan Ergül, a postdoctoral fellow in Assoc. Prof. Michelle Adams’ lab, has been named the fourth Changemaker in the seventh season of the Sabancı Foundation “Turkey’s Changemakers” program.
In addition to conducting her academic research, Dr. Ergül contributes her time to a worthy cause: encouraging high school students to become interested in science and increasing their self-confidence. To do this, she visits high schools and gives seminars to raise awareness and guide students on the path to college. It is this work that led to her being named a Changemaker.
So far, Dr. Ergül has given seminars to thousands of students in 20 schools in Ankara. It is hoped that the students she motivates will follow in the footsteps of Aziz Sancar and help to advance science in Turkey.
The “Turkey’s Changemakers” program aims to promote social development and active citizenship, highlighting the efforts of individuals making a positive difference in society with the hope of inspiring and encouraging others to do the same.
The stories of the Changemakers are told in videos, reaching a wide audience in Turkey and abroad through the program website and social media. Dr. Ergül’s video may be found at http://www.sabancivakfi.org/page/ayca-arslan-ergul.