Three New Members were Elected to TÜBA
During the 46th Annual General Assembly Meeting of TÜBA that took place at the Ankara Hilton on December 20, 2014, Prof. Dr. Kemal H. Karpat, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu and Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu were elected to TÜBA Honorary Membership.
TÜBA Chairman Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar said the following about the new members: “One of the main goals of TÜBA is to enlist expert scientists as members in our Academy. The membership of select scientists like Prof. Dr. Kemal Karpat, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu and Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu is an honor for us. Our esteemed teacher Dr. Kemal Karpat, with his ground-breaking work at an international level in the field of Ottoman and Turkish history; Professor Özsoylu with his pioneer work in medicine and Professor Bayazıtoğlu with her international achievements as a Turkish woman of science are well deserving of this membership. I consider this membership of our valued professors as a well earned commendation that is now being bestowed upon them, albeit a little late”.
The new members of TÜBA expressed their feelings on the subject as follows.
Prof. Dr. Kemal Karpat: “It is a great honor for me to become an honorary member of TÜBA”
“Turkey will develop a lot more because it is a significant power in historical, cultural and sociological terms. Let us not get caught up in admiring outside models and neglect ourselves and let us not lose our self-respect. We have tried to do all we can for Turkey. I have always put my trust in Turkey and the Turkish people. We have worked long and hard to change some misconceptions about Turkey. I want to thank TÜBA very much for this support” said Prof. Dr. Kemal Karpat, one of the most skilled names in the community of world history and social sciences, and added the following about his election to TÜBA membership:
“Becoming an Honorary Member of TÜBA is a great honor for me. It is my duty to be deserving of this honor. Throughout my life, despite numerous challenges, I have always tried to convey the history, culture and people of the great nation, under which I am a citizen, at a scale that is acceptable to everyone. Some people may seek ways to promote themselves, rather than their homeland, and become famous with striking words and newspaper headings. They may even be successful for a time. I, on the other hand, have tried to deal with basic topics and achieve permanent results as a result of great effort over the years. Many people who had at first rebelled against my ideas eventually accepted that I was right. In my opinion national history, culture, community identity and even values have their own features as much as universal aspects that they share with other people of other nations. At the same time these features show continuity but also change with the power of various political, social and economical factors. I have tried to show how these realities were shaped in the Ottoman period and the Turkey after becoming a Republic, in my work. Political administrations that disregard historical roots and want to take shortcuts to completely renew their societies cannot be successful. Similarly, administrations with no vision that cannot look forward and only want to rejuvenate the old can damage society.
“The new generation being raised in Turkey is very high up in terms of everything from their fields of work to their education”
Research on democracy in Turkey has a large place in my work. Democracy is not just elections and electing those who will govern the country. Democracy is a belief and system of living in which the equality of people is the principle and no manner of religious, cultural and political tutelage is accepted. Thanks to democracy all tutelage was removed and the Turkish people have found their real identity and their essence and in less than half a century have achieved a level of development that many countries have been unable to attain in two centuries. This is only the beginning, as long as democracy keeps growing its roots. I was born in a village. I grew up there but right from the beginning I rebelled against others looking down on Turks and treating them badly and in the west I got myself to be accepted by always staying on the side of justice and humanity within the scholarly limits of the west. I am confident that anyone living within the borders of Turkey can do this and should do this. The new generation being raised in Turkey is very high up in terms of everything from their fields of work to their education.
I am still the editor of a Turkish Research Journal with international readers in the Wisconsin University, in the US. I strive to publish the work of young researchers. I am also the director of the Turkish Research Institute. Whenever I can, I give classes at the Istanbul City University to which I have donated a library. I am working to keep the world renowned Turkish History Tribune, which I founded, going. Despite my advanced age I am trying to keep all of these activities going with my own financial resources and I will not sway from my mission. I do not know how much longer all of these activities will continue but there is no doubt that the TÜBA Honorary Membership has given me new strength. I thank you.”
Prof. Dr. Şinasi Ersoylu: “I am ready to make an effort as long as it takes, from the cradle to the grave”
Hacettepe University Retired Staff Member Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu, an academician who has contribute greatly to the field of pediatric hematology in medicine and played a leadership role in the advancement of science in Turkey and in the world, said; “With the pleasure of being accepted to Honorary Membership in TÜBA, an institution comprised of some of our highest level academicians, I want to thank my fellow members and the chairman in particular and extend my best regards.”
Özsoylu, who talked about remembering the disappointment he felt when the late Prof. Dr. Oğuz Kayaalp’s nomination of him to TÜBA membership was turned down in 2002, said:
“I was not at peace with being ignored in academic life in our country despite the international recognition I had achieved [International Pediatric Association’s interdisciplinary hematology expert (1976-1993), European Pediatric Hematology/ Immunology Chairmanship (1989-1993), American Pediatric Society Honorary Membership (1992-), American Pediatric Fellowship (1995-), Islamic World Academy of Sciences Fellowship(1989-) etc.] without even applying. I am very pleased to have been considered upon my application encouraged by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Rumeli this year. I want to thank everyone who assisted in this subject.
Comparing my becoming a TÜBA Honorary Member at age 87 to Mimar Sinan’s completing the Selimiye Mosque at age 92 (according to rumor), I remembered that “Nothing is too late in life”. Although I am unable to walk easily and have trouble breathing at my age, I want to emphasize that I am ready to do all it takes from the cradle to the grave as a requirement of my belief”.
Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu: “The most honorable title of my professional life”
Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu, who has numerous achievements in the national and international field including being the first woman to get her doctorate in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan University and also becoming the first female associate professor and professor engineer at Rice University, said she approaches the problems of women from different perspectives and continued as follows: “Women bring a different tone, a different perspective to the world and to our country and increase the power of people. These differences result in new discoveries and increase the contributions of engineering and science to humanity. I believe that we could be making more effort to develop new methods for encouraging female students in Turkey to pursue degrees in engineering and science and to support our women who wish to work as engineers, academicians and researchers. Studying the work and efforts that have been accomplished on this subject in other countries and adapting them to the Turkish culture to be implemented here will help us to achieve success in the long term. Our developing economy will develop more rapidly and more efficiently.
In 2014, the AASSA- Asia Science Academies and Communities Association and TÜBA organized a conference titled “Women in Science and Technology” at the Ege University under the chairmanship of TÜBA Honorary Member Prof. Dr. Namık Kemal Aras. The scientists from 19 Asian countries discussed the work and place of women in science and technology in their own countries. Such a meeting gave me infinite excitement and made me believe that the classes of engineering in my dreams where half of the students are women could actually come true.”
Prof. Dr. Bayazıtoğlu, who recommended that young scientists be confident, whether they are men or women, in order to be successful, added “Results that seem impossible and the positions of their dreams can only be reached through confidence and serious work without ever compromising on goals. I recommend that all your scientists try to contact other scientists in the country and abroad, to join strong study groups and take into consideration the advice that has been given to them when choosing the subjects that are suitable for them.
I am very happy with being elected as an Honorary Member of TÜBA. This is an honor that I deem as the most honorable title of my professional life. I want to express my thanks and gratitude to TÜBA Chairman Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat and the other TÜBA members for this honor.
Who is Prof. Dr. Kemal Karpat?
Prof. Dr. Kemal Haşim Karpat was born in 1924, in Doruca, Babadag Romania Babadağ, DobrucaRomanya. He graduated from the Istanbul University Law Faculty İstanbul Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi. He did his master’s and doctorate at the Washington and Rewington Universities in social and political sciences. After specializing in history in Romania he took courses in American, Russian, Middle Eastern and Ottoman history. He started his academic work in 1950 in New York and Washington Universities. After his duties in the United Nations Economic and Social Council, he taught and participated in administrative activities at educational institutions such as Montana State University, New York University, Princeton University, Robert College, Bilkent University, Middle Eastern Technical University Business and Administrative Sciences Faculty, AU Political Sciences Faculty, Harvard University, John Hopkins University, Colombia University and Ecoledes Hautes Etudes en Science Sociales.
Some of Prof. Dr. Karpat’s ground-breaking contributions to the world of science can be listed as follows: population and population movements in the late Ottoman period, non-governmental organization and Moslem merchants, “Political Islam” and issues of belonging in the late Ottoman and Republic periods and studies on the Middle East, Balkans and Central Asia in general. Professor Karpat created unique studies in these fields and was, in fact, one of the first people to bring such subjects to the forefront.
Prof. Dr. Kemal Karpat has over 300 articles and 27 books or chapters of books. ‘Ottoman Population’ which attracted great international interest and was published by the Wisconsin UniversityOttomanPopulation) was written by him. He has been invited to numerous national and international conferences and meetings and served on the regulatory and consultation boards of such organizations.
In addition to his research and publications on a personal level, Prof. Karpat also contributed greatly to the mentioned fields by supporting research at an institutional level and by teaching students in these fields. He served as the chairman of the Middle East Studies Association and Turkish Studies Association and founded the Orta Asya Cemiyeti (ACAS) as well as serving on the editorial board of journals in these fields.
An Honorary Member of the History Institute, Prof. Dr. Kemal Karpat was awarded an honorary PhDs from Ovidius University and Chuwashia National University, a Hilldale Award from the University of Wisconsin, a TÜBA Distinguished Turkish Scientist Award, an IRCICA Award, a European History Award from the Turkish History Institute, the Romania Medal of Independence, Bucharest University Dimitri Cantemir Medal for Scholarly Excellence and the TBMM Year 2009 Award of Honor.
Retired from the Wisconsin University History Department, Prof.Dr.Karpat still works as a professor in the Istanbul City University History Department İstanbul Şehir Üniversitesi in addition to work he continues in the US.
Who is Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu?
Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu was born in Erzurum in 1927. He graduated from the Istanbul University Medical Faculty.
He continued the academic life he started at the Ankara University Hacettepe Children’s Hospital, at the Washington University Medical School, St. Louis and Harvard University School of Medicine, Boston. In 1963 he returned to Turkey and started working at the Hacettepe Medical Faculty and became an associate professor in 1964 and a professor in 1969. He has worked at the Johns Hopkins and Maryland Universities in the US. Later he worked at the Hacettepe Medical Faculty until his retirement.
Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu made very valuable contributions to the development of medicine in clinical sciences, especially in the field of pediatric hematology. He published article in journals with a very high impact like Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Blood, Journal of Pediatrics and American Journal of Human Genetics. Among these the article published in ‘Nature’ (First author) in 1962 on the effects of ‘Coagulation of Corticosteroids’ is very significant. J.K. Diamond, who is accepted as the founder of the field of pediatric hematology, is among the authors of the same article. He founded the field of pediatric hematology along with his mentor Prof. Diamond. He continued his contributions to the field of pediatric hematology with an exemplary scientific productivity and developed treatments for aplastic anemia, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, mielofibrosis, idiopathtic thrombocytopenic purpura, Kasabach syndrome, TTP diseases with megadoz methyl prednizole.
In a general evaluation of the last 50 years e is regarded as one of the most prominent researchers of the pediatric hematology field along with Prof. Lewis K. Diamond, Prof. Frank A. Oski, Prof. Antonio Cao and Prof. Bob Christensen.
Due to his contributions to science Prof. Dr. Şinasi Özsoylu has won many famous awards like the1979 Doğramacı Award, the 1989 M. Parlar Science Award, the 1991 Hacettepe University Excellence in Science Award and the 2004 Fatih University Award.
Who is Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu?
Prof. Dr. Bayazıtoğlu, who graduated from the Middle Eastern Technical University (ODTÜ) Mechanical Engineering Department in 1967, did her master’s and doctorate at Michigan University. After teaching at ODTÜ for a time Bayazıtoğlu continued her career in the U.S.
In 1996 at the Rice University’s Mechanical Engineering she achieved the title of H. S. Cameron ‘Endowed Chair Professor’ and in 2013 the title ‘Materials and Nanotechnology Professor’. In 2012 she was awarded American Society of Mechanical Engineers Honorary Membership, which is only awarded every year after evaluating the achievements of a maximum of five scientists in the world. In the same year she also won the Society of Women Engineers “Achievement Award” which is only given to one woman engineer in a year in the U.S., for her contributions to engineering and science and supports her being “an excellent researcher in every aspect”.
Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu has completed theoretical, experimental and numerical studies in her field. She has worked on such subjects as radiation, convection heat transfer, the thermo physical properties of substances, heat transmission with radiation and transport, heat transmission on systems with phase differences, micro and nano scale heat transmission, heat analysis of the human body and problems of heat transmission in cancer treatment with nano particles.
Prof. Dr. Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu, who continues to work at the Rice University Mechanical Engineering Department, is also the American towns head editor of the International Journal of Thermal Sciences, a well known scientific journal since 2003.
Prof. Dr.Yıldız Bayazıtoğlu is married with three children and six grandchildren.