Burcu Özsoy Explained

Burcu Özsoy
Birth Place:Gaziantep, Turkey
Nationality:Turkish
Fields:Sea ice remote sensing
Workplaces:Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center (ITU PolReC)
Alma Mater:Bachelor and Master Yıldız Technical University, PhD University of Texas at San Antonio
Known For:Director of (ITU PolReC)
Awards:ASPRS Mid-South Student Award[1]

Burcu Özsoy (born in Gaziantep, Turkey, in 1976) is a Turkish scientist who works with sea ice remote sensing in Antarctica. Özsoy is head of the first Turkish polar research center, ITU PolReC.[2]

Early life and education

Özsoy is a native of Turkey and graduated from Yıldız Technical University with degrees of Bachelor and Master in Geodesy-Photogrammetry Engineering. In 2001 she started serving as Research Assistant (RA) in Istanbul Technical University.[3] In 2003 she joined the Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics Lab, Department of Geological Sciences at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Özsoy always had an interest in statistical mathematics and geo-physical sciences and combined both fields by becoming a remote sensing expert. In 2005, she worked on her PhD at the UTSA.[4] During her work there, she met key U.S. and other international scientists and institutions, including those who worked at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.[5] She was interested in Antarctic remote sensing and looked forward to the chance to hop onto an icebreaker to cruise to Antarctica and see, feel, smell, hear, and taste Antarctic sea ice and landscape for the first time.[6] [7] She traveled to Antarctica in 2006.[8] Inspired by this experience she doubled her forces and filled an important knowledge gap in remote sensing of Antarctic sea ice with her Ph.D. thesis. In 2007, she established American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) chapter in UTSA. In 2010 Özsoy earned her P.h.D. from UTSA.[9]

Career and impact

While she was working on her Ph.D, she learned that communication across disciplines and across scientific knowledge levels is the key to make people understand new results and theories in the field of and the threats accompanied with climate change. Therefore, after having returned to Turkey in 2011, she worked hard against resistance and old-fashioned opinions to promote the importance of polar research in Turkey; from the 1st grade school kid[10] to the well-established professor[11] and up into the highest political levels.[12] Her initiations also started public awareness about the importance of the Polar Regions.[13] Many students that she has been giving lectures to, are now well aware of climate change and have done related researches for the first time in Turkey. She is the founder and director of Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center (ITU PolReC) which is in charge of all polar sciences in Turkey.[2] [14] [15] Its foundation is well in line with the scientifically rooted logical next step to contribute to Antarctic research with a Turkish research base in Antarctica for which she went back to Antarctica in March/April 2016. During that expedition, she was the deputy leader.[16] She was also one of two women for the expedition and said that the two women scientists showed that Turkish women can accomplish anything.[17] [18] One of the projects she worked on during the expedition involved climate change.[19] Also she was included Scientific Committee of International Circumpolar Observatory.[20] She led first, second and third Turkish Antarctic Expeditions under the auspices of Presidency of Turkey and under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Polar Research Center (PolReC)

Awards and honours

Selected works

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ASPRS UTSA CHAPTER. utsa.edu. University of Texas at San Antonio. 2016-09-13.
  2. Web site: Turkey should sign Antarctica protocol, says Turkish expedition chief. Hurriyet Daily News. 13 September 2016.
  3. Ozsoy-Cicek. Burcu. 2010. Antarktika Deniz Buzullarinda Yersel Gozlem. Bilim ve Teknik. tr. 61.
  4. Web site: UTSA graduate students honored for commitment to teaching, learning. University of Texas at San Antonio. 13 September 2016.
  5. Web site: Annual Progress Report Year 1 (3 June 2008- 2 June 2009). University of Texas at San Antonio. 13 September 2016.
  6. Web site: B.Ö. Çiçek; "Antarctic Sea Ice in Climate Change...", July 10, 10:40. Sabancı University. 13 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160924135751/http://fens.sabanciuniv.edu/tr/events-detail/4435. 24 September 2016. dead.
  7. Web site: INTERVIEW with PROFESSOR STEPHEN ACKLEY. www.polartrec.com. PolarTrec.
  8. News: Atasoy gundeme getirdi. 3 October 2013. Milliyet. 12. tr.
  9. Web site: Meet a Roadrunner: Burcu Ozsoy ’10 is an Antarctic adventurer. www.utsa.edu. en. 2020-04-27.
  10. Web site: NASA KULÜBÜ'NDEN "İKLİM DEĞİŞİMİ VE KÜRESEL ISINMA" SEMİNERİ. www.dogaokullari.com. Doga College. tr.
  11. Web site: Seminar : Burcu Özsoy Çiçek of the University of Delaware. Sabancı Üniversitesi. 13 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160924081437/http://som.sabanciuniv.edu/news_detail/37572. 24 September 2016. dead.
  12. Web site: İçişleri Bakanı o telefonu açınca Mehmet kardeşim acaba ne hissetti. Hürriyet. Hürriyet Gazetesi.
  13. Web site: İTÜ Denizcilik Fakültesi 131. Geleneksel Balık Günü. ITU PolReC. ITU PolReC. 13 September 2016.
  14. Web site: Antarktika’daki Kadın Araştırmacımız. bilimgenc.tubitak.gov.tr. TUBITAK Bilim Genç. tr.
  15. Web site: About Us - ITU PolReC. ITU PolReC. ITU PolReC. 13 September 2016.
  16. Web site: Türkiye'nin Antartika çıkarması başarıyla sonuçlandı. Eğitim Ajansı. Eğitim Ajansı. tr.
  17. Web site: Türk bilim seferi ekibi Antarktika’dan döndü. HaberTürk. Haber Türk Gazetesi. 13 September 2016. tr.
  18. News: 'Anne oldugum icin fark ettim'. 8 May 2016. Aydinlik. 2. tr.
  19. News: Iklim Degisiminin Hizini Bulacaklar. 10 May 2016. Milliyet. 11. tr.
  20. Web site: INTERNATIONAL CIRCUMPOLAR OBSERVATORY (ICO) Arctic and Antarctic Observatory of Southern and Northern Societies and Cultures. ICO. Universidad del Salvador. 13 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20181225110659/http://www.imaginairedunord.uqam.ca/index.php?section=1606ICOEN. 25 December 2018. dead.