Çiğdem: Professor Seda, first, I would like to express my happiness for having the opportunity to conduct this interview with you on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11th. I believe your sincere answers will inspire many adults and children. I would like to start by asking you this: one of the things that really stuck in my mind while working in your research group was about the importance of making a subject easily understandable. Based on this, I would like to ask; what do you think are the essentials of a scientific research?
Seda: I am very happy and grateful to be doing this interview with you, too. You are one of the finest examples of a young, hardworking female scientist who has completed her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at our university and now contributes to humanity with her postdoctoral research. As you mentioned, making our work understandable is very important because we conduct our research not just for our own curiosity, but for the benefit of the whole world and humanity. Even though we deal with complex and difficult problems, I believe it is crucial to express these in a simple language that everyone can understand. In my opinion, the essentials of scientific research are curiosity, enthusiasm, and never giving up. Sometimes, while searching for the answer to a problem, we encounter many more questions along the way. I believe that as long as we work with enthusiasm, passion, and perseverance, and continue on our path, we will certainly reach useful information.
Çiğdem: Professor, from what I have seen, a child’s enthusiasm for learning and asking questions is first tested in elementary school, often during exams. During this time, while some children may grow to love Science and Math, others may not, or they might lose the confidence necessary for successfully learning these subjects. What steps do you think can be taken to support girls in discovering whether they enjoy and are interested in STEM fields?
Seda: You are right, my own perspective leans towards encouraging children to discover and pursue their genuine interests, rather than steering them specifically towards science and math. As a passionate mathematician and a lover of numbers, I understand this personally. Yet, my 8-year-old daughter isn’t much fond of mathematics; she’s drawn to the arts, such as drama, painting, and dance. Honestly, I support her to learn enough mathematics, but my main desire is for her to invest more time in areas where she truly excels and feels joyful. I believe that whether it’s at a young age or at a research level, like during doctoral studies, it’s crucial for an individual to genuinely love their chosen subject. When this bond is established, I’m convinced that no problem is unsolvable.
Çiğdem: Do you know of any specific initiative or program, either implemented by you or known to you, that promotes gender equality in your field and supports the advancement of women in academia?
Seda: As you mentioned in your previous question, especially in engineering fields, which are predominantly male-dominated disciplines, partly due to the nature of engineering research (long and challenging research processes), we don’t see many female academics. Nowadays, national and international award programs and funding mechanisms are recognizing that women often pause their careers due to family formation and childbearing. They are providing additional time allowances specifically for female researchers. There are special support programs for young women scientists. I believe these are very valuable and serve as a motivation for women planning to pursue an academic career.
Çiğdem: Professor, I am also very curious to know, if you had the chance to meet yourself at my age, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Seda: Çiğdem, I might get a bit emotional here. Generally, I’ve always been an excited and anxious person, and I know I’ve challenged my family, friends, students, and professors with my nature. I write each paper with the excitement of it being the first, panic in every application as if it’s the initial one, and if a paper or project gets rejected, or a calculation fails, I sit down and cry. So, I would like to give young Seda a bit of relief and say: ‘Right now, you’re very excited, bursting with energy, constantly worrying about not being able to do it or succeed. You will do it, but never ever lose this excitement!’
Çiğdem: Lastly, since you were a young girl, have there been any individuals or quotes that have inspired you? Could you share them with us? Thank you.
Seda: Even though I’ve dedicated my life to atoms and numbers as a researcher, I am also a devoted literature enthusiast. One of my favorite quotes is by Sabahattin Ali: ‘Some passions become our guides throughout life. They embrace us with their arms. We follow them without question, knowing we will never regret it.’ I really love this quote. Everyone has different passions, and a person can have multiple passions. Whatever they are – be it science, art, sports, cooking, traveling, writing – pursuing them is beautiful. Investing time and effort in what you love always feels good.
Seda: Çiğdem, while thanking you for this wonderful interview, let me conclude by asking you a question. As a young researcher progressing in the path of science, what golden piece of advice would you give to our children and youngsters who are planning to choose an academic life?
Çiğdem: Thank you for your sincere answers and your question, Professor. I am still at the very beginning of my journey. I think the most valuable advice I can give for now would be this: When deciding to pursue an academic career, we need to thoroughly question how curious, brave, self-sacrificing, and humble we are, and how much of our time and energy we want to devote to this career. These qualities are necessary to persistently follow questions, to overcome obstacles or unfamiliar methods, to accept that what we firmly believe to be correct might be wrong and try to resolve it patiently, and to keep going even when we are very tired. If our answers to all these questions support our dream of an academic career, and if we are fortunate enough to find colleagues with whom we can ponder over perplexing questions and sincerely encourage each other, then pursuing an academic career can be a beautiful way to ‘take life seriously’, as the dear Nazım Hikmet said.