February 16, 2021 Tuesday: Snowy -5°C / -3°C Volume 27 Wednesday: Cold -10°C / -3°C Number 16 Thursday: Cold -15°C / -4°C ISSN: 2458-8644 Friday: Snowy bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr İLKENT EWS -6°C / 0°C B Weekly Newspaper of Bilkent UniversityN Şermin Savaşçı Scholarships Presented IAED Graduate Student Chosen to to Engineering Students Receive CIRE Grant eyza Yazıcı, a PhD student in the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, has Breceived a grant from the Committee on International Research and Education (CIRE) of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). She was selected to receive the grant on the basis of her academic record, activities and achievements as a research programs at universities or graduate student. technical institutes, in particular ast year, the Şermin Şermin Savaşçı, the As part of its mission to enhance those in developing countries. The Savaşçı Education daughter of Bilkent the role of the ASA in international purpose of the CIRE award is to Fund was established University’s founder İhsan research and education in acoustics, encourage students to continue their at Bilkent to provide Doğramacı, attended the the committee provide grants to graduate studies in acoustics in their Lsupport for students in the online ceremony via Zoom, as students enrolled in acoustic home countries. Faculty of Engineering. did Rector Abdullah Atalar, During a ceremony held online Faculty of Engineering Dean on Friday, February 5, nine Ezhan Karaşan, members of Fatih İnci Named One of Turkey’s 10 students were presented with the Scholarship Selection Committee scholarships for the spring semester and other members of the university Outstanding Young Persons of the 2020–2021 academic year. administration. sst. Prof. Fatih İnci nominates individuals age of the National 18 to 40 “who are engaged Nanotechnology and committed to creating Exploit Studio Team Takes Second Research Center an impact in their Place in Cybersecurity Competition (UNAM)A and the Institute of communities” for the TOYP Materials Science and award, which is given to 10 Nanotechnology at Bilkent recipients, one in each of 10 University has been named categories ranging from one of this year’s “Ten scientific leadership to Outstanding Young Persons” by forwarding human rights and world Junior Chamber International (JCI) peace. Turkey. He was selected for the Dr. İnci received his award in the honor based on his achievements in category of medical innovation. His the area of medical diagnostics. research is concentrated in the TOYP Turkey is part of JCI’s “Ten emergent fields of biosensing, Outstanding Young Persons of the micro/nanoscale technology, lab-on- World” (TOYP) program, which a-chip and biomedical engineering, serves to recognize individuals who where he works to develop ast fall, Savunma In the cybersecurity field, capture- excel in their chosen fields and ultrasensitive sensors and Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve the-flag competitions require exemplify the best attributes of the microfluidic platforms that are able Ticaret A.Ş. held a 24-hour participants to solve security-related world’s young people. to diagnose maladies such as cybersecurity capture-the- problems and exploit vulnerable An international nonprofit infectious diseases and cancer and flag competition for university systems. The problems involve various organization, JCI has more than thus also have the potential, by Lstudents, in which 161 teams from all areas such as cryptography, web 200,000 members worldwide. Each means of their advanced technology, over Turkey took part. A team from application hacking, mobile year, at both the national and to minimize health disparities even Exploit Studio, a hacking society application hacking, forensics, reverse international levels, the organization in resource-constrained settings. based at Bilkent University, took engineering and malware analysis. second place in the event. The team While Exploit Studio is based at consisted of Yaman Yağız Taşbağ and Bilkent, individuals active in the Müge Durusu-Tanrıöver Receives Muhammad Saboor, students in the society range from high school Bilkent Department of Computer students to cybersecurity professionals Archaeological Institute of America Grant Science, as well as Mustafa Kemal and include university students from sst. Prof. Müge the Trojan War and Can, a Computer Science student at other schools as well as Bilkent. Studio Durusu- its influence on the Bahçeşehir University, and Arslan members meet regularly and share Tanrıöver of the ancient Masood, a Mathematics student at their knowledge about different Department of Mediterranean İstanbul University. information security topics. UrbanA Design and civilizations. Dr. Landscape Architecture Durusu-Tanrıöver’s Research Grant to Fund Cihan Okay’s Work has won this year’s project explores the Richard C. MacDonald Late Bronze Age on the Topology of Quantum Resources Iliad Endowment for (17th–12th centuries sst. Prof. Cihan Quantum Information and Archaeological Research, BCE), when the Okay of the Quantum Computing.” offered by the Hittite Empire Department of The project is Archaeological Institute politically controlled Mathematics has interdisciplinary and, says of America, for her project titled most of the Anatolian peninsula. been awarded a research Dr. Okay, aims for an “Conflict, Domination and Texts from the Hittite central grantA by the US Air Force understanding of the role Resistance in Late Bronze Age archives attest to long-term conflict Office of Scientific Research of quantum resources, Anatolia.” between the Hittites and mainland for a project titled “Topology such as Bell non-locality The MacDonald Iliad Endowment Greece, which may have eventually of Quantum Resources: and quantum contextuality, is awarded annually to an boiled down to a constructed Homotopical Methods in in quantum computation archaeological project that collective memory of the Trojan War. Resource Theories for (Continued on Page 2) contributes to the understanding of (Continued on Page 2) Bilkent News 2 NEWS & OPINIONS The Sporting Life Research Grant to Fund Cihan Okay’s Work Name: Ali Mertcan Kılıçlı Department: Law on the Topology of Quantum Resources How often do you exercise? (Continued from Page 1) resources that can be utilized for I try to go to the gym three times a and quantum information theory building powerful devices. Our week, but I stay active throughout the using methods from topology. approach brings in the abstract and week. I play pickup basketball, and Quantum resources, note the effective tools of algebraic topology, a before the pandemic I played soccer researchers, “are responsible both for branch of mathematics studying with friends every two weeks. computational speed-up (e.g., the algebraic approximations of spaces, to How has regular exercise famous Shor’s algorithm), and for better characterize the quantum affected your life? securing cryptographic schemes based features responsible for information- It simply elevates all parts of my life. on quantum correlations. Key theoretic advantages.” I feel better, my mood is better. I’ve distribution and randomness The team’s topological approach made good friends and met a lot of generation are among the applications was developed in collaboration with good people thanks to sports and of contextuality that can be applied to Assoc. Prof. Robert Raussendorf of the exercising. enhance the security of University of British Columbia and What do you suggest to those who communication systems. further refined by the introduction of are just taking up a sport or “The new paradigm is to see homotopical concepts that emerged starting to exercise? physical theories as computational during Dr. Okay’s PhD thesis work. I would say don’t rush into things. An injury demotivates you and makes it harder to work out consistently. Do Müge Durusu-Tanrıöver Receives your research from credible sources and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Archaeological Institute of America Grant What are the first three things (Continued from Page 1) the western part of Ankara province) that come to mind when you hear However, the Hittite texts shed a through archaeological field survey the word “sports”? secondary light only on the regional and archaeometric analyses to Health, confidence and gainz. kingdoms occupying the western offer a bottom-up narrative of the Which Bilkent sports facilities though I never started any games, Anatolian coast and leave the local communities in this region. (Sports Halls, playing fields, during the time I played American intervening geography in the dark. The fieldwork component of the tennis courts, etc.) do you use? football I felt more fit and fulfilled As a sample of this area between project will be conducted under the I mainly use the fitness area than at any other point in my exercise the Hittite core region within the aegis of the Polatlı Landscape nowadays because of the pandemic. I “journey.” I’ve taken part in volleyball bend of the Kızılırmak River and the Archaeology and Survey Project, used to play American football with tournaments and table tennis Aegean coast, the proposed project directed by Dr. Durusu-Tanrıöver our school’s team, the Judges. Even competitions as well. aims to intensively explore Polatlı (in since 2019.

Faces on Campus BY AYSU YURTER (TRIN/IV)

Name: Elif Çınar (MAN/III) Name: Efe Kahramaner (IR/II) Name: Aleyna Öğretmenoğlu (IE/I) What’s your favorite quintuple? What’s your favorite quintuple? What’s your favorite quintuple? a) Movie: “The Imitation Game” a) Movie: “Scarface” a) Movie: “10 Things I Hate About You” b) Book: “Momo” by Michael Ende b) Book: “The Prince” by Niccolò Machiavelli b) Book: “The Stranger” by Albert Camus c) Song: “Tough Love” by Avicii c) Song: “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” by 2Pac c) Song: “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” d) Food: Börek d) Food: Everything by Jeff Buckley e) City: Utrecht e) City: Gothenburg d) Food: Pasta What would be your dream job? “Model” What would be your dream job? “Football e) City: New York If you were a superhero, what super player” What would be your dream job? “Author” power(s) would you have? “Flying and If you were a superhero, what super If you were a superhero, what super invisibility” power(s) would you have? “Flying” power(s) would you have? “Telepathy” The place on campus where I feel The place on campus where I feel The place on campus where I feel happiest is... “the Starbucks in MA happiest is... “the football pitch on Sunday happiest is... “the area between the library Building” mornings” and EA Building” My favorite thing about Ankara: “The My favorite thing about Ankara: “Its local My favorite thing about Ankara: “That it’s cafés in Bahçeli” restaurants” a cosmopolitan city” If I were an animal, I would be... “a If I were an animal, I would be... “a If I were an animal, I would be... “a rabbit” shark” panda” I have never... “bungee-jumped” I have never... “played ‘League of Legends’” I have never... “bungee-jumped” Bilkent News 3 NEWS & OPINIONS

and might use other content words to finding may also be related to paths cross as we work toward a goal talk about themselves, research previous research that suggests or solve a problem together. shows that their function words will people who use the same gestures Psychological research has shown tend to be similar if they have that tend to “click.” The rate of their that sharing such situations creates a instant “click.” neural synchrony as well as their shared sense of vulnerability, and Neural Synchrony behavioral synchrony also may makes us tend to feel understood, ŞEBNEM TÜRE (PSYC/III) Neurobiological factors may also increase the longer they stay in more secure, and connected. In [email protected] play a role. In a 2018 study conducted contact with each other. “Click: The Magic of Instant at Dartmouth College, 42 volunteers Birds of a Feather Flock Together Connections,” author Ori Brafman hy Do We “Click”? watched short video clips while They do. Feathers are essential also suggests that we can arbitrarily The Psychology of scientists measured their brain cues for birds to recognize each create such “vulnerable Instant Connection activity using fMRI. It turns out that other from afar, and they tend to environments” through asking people in close social relationships come closer to each other if they meaning-making questions, like WSometimes you meet someone, showed similar brain activity, sense that they have similar feather “What’s something meaningful that’s and you just know that you can including in the areas involved in patterns. Humans also tend to use happened to you in the last week?” in communicate. It happens that you emotion processing and selective “feathers,” meaning that they use order to increase the sense of say hello to a new coworker or share attention, and even in regions in the various cues to detect each other’s authenticity and appropriateness. small talk with a security officer, and inferior parietal lobe that have been demographic characteristics, such as Shared Sense of Humor you have an instant sense of linked to discerning others’ mental age, ethnicity, class or education Laughing together can create an connectedness. Most probably, you states. According to Thalia Wheatley level. There is a greater chance that illusion for people that they get on had that feeling with the closest of of Dartmouth College, people in the will they instantly enjoy being with well together, but sharing a sense of your friends or your romantic same social network also show people who have the same such humor can initially make us feel partners from the very first time you connected as well. Research by Robin met. Here, I’ve gathered some Dunbar of Oxford University reports possible reasons for that significant effects of a similar sense phenomenon from psychological of humor on later altruism. Looking research on interpersonal at the subject from a different relationships. perspective, a study from the Language Style Matching University of North Carolina, Chapel Language style matching (LSM) Hill, involved having strangers watch refers to the idea that people are videos and recording how much they inclined to match conversation laughed, or whether they just smiled partners in linguistic style. or stayed neutral. Results showed Therefore, people with similar that across the different videos, the language use tend to have a greater amount of shared laughter had sense of connection at their first consistent effects with respect to the interactions. They also tend to stay in participants’ sense of similarity to contact because they enjoy each the video partner and tended to make other’s way of talking. LSM is a them desire future contact. “For measurable construct, and the rate of people who are laughing together, matching is determined through the similar neural activity when characteristics, since they tend to shared laughter signals that they see similar usage of function words (like processing the narrative content of feel that they connect more with the world in the same way, and it the underlined words in “He placed stories and generally making sense of them. momentarily boosts their sense of it on the table”), irrespective of the world. Neural synchrony found in Shared Vulnerability connection,” says Sara Algoe, the context. So, although two people strangers can predict a desire for Sometimes we meet a stranger at a social psychologist who authored the might have different backgrounds future contact in both parties. This vulnerable point in our lives, or our study.

The International Chronicles Bilkent in Winter BY YAREN SAĞLIK (TRIN/IV) phase of my life, saying goodbye will Ah! Such a difficult question. I’ve Bilkent News be bittersweet. answered it multiple times in the past What’s your favorite place on few years, and each time I have a Name: Sara Alqatarneh campus, and why? different answer! Well, I’ll be done Department: Psychology That’s a difficult one! I love the Bilka with my master’s by then, and Country of Origin: Jordan hill – I think we all have so many hopefully I’ll have secured a fulfilling Are there any similarities between memories there. I also love that tiny Turkey and your job abroad and started ticking off all abandoned home country? the places I want to visit on my bucket house near the We have similar list. lake on the way cuisines and What’s the hardest challenge to East similar cultures. you’ve handled in Turkey? Campus – well, What do you like Oh boy, I’ve handled so many in such its roof, to be best about a short time here that I don’t know specific. It’s Turkey? where to start. I would say completely one of my go- I love Turkey’s depending on myself, letting go of to places when natural landscape. people I’ve held very dear to me and I need to It’s so diverse, and accepting that not everyone has the disconnect and there are so many same intentions as I do. have some places to explore Describe yourself in three words. alone time. here and so many Passionate. Resilient. Neophiliac. What’s your things to do, from What’s an interesting question or favorite Even in the cold of winter our swimming and comment you hear frequently Turkish food campus can be a magical place, sunbathing to about Bilkent/Turkey? and/or when frost and snow transform hiking, camping “Why and how does Bilkent leave favorite part such an imprint on most of its the familiar landscape. If you and skiing! would like to share photographs of Turkish culture? graduates?” I would say it’s because What will you miss most about that show Bilkent in the winter, I’m obsessed with midye and dolma, I during your undergrad years you go Bilkent/Turkey? please send them to us at just can’t get enough of them! Also, through so many new and mostly Campus life for sure; it’s a home away [email protected]. When from home. After all, I’ll have spent nothing beats Turkish kebabs. harsh experiences that help you Where do you expect to see space permits, we will choose one three or four years of my life here, and discover yourself, and that’s the to publish in Bilkent News. as excited as I am about the next yourself 10 years from now? beauty and the curse of Bilkent. Bilkent News 4

Bilkent CALENDAR

CONCERTS Hasan Erim Hacat, horn Environments,” by Prof. Oya Recent Bilkent Symphony Orchestra G.F. Handel | “Messiah” Overture Demirbilek (UNSW Built BİLKENT NEWS concerts are now being broadcast A. Rosetti | Concerto for Two Horns Environment), at 11:30 a.m. online on the Bilkent Symphony and Orchestra, RWV C60 Organized by LAUD. Digital platform. They may be accessed I. Stravinsky | “Pulcinella” Suite at https://ticket.bilkent.edu.tr/. Recording: December 17, 2020, Classifieds Bilkent Concert Hall Bilkent News will print classified ads, “Classic Brass” SEMINARS Bilkent Brass Ensemble space permitting. Ads may be placed Bilkent Üniversitesi only by students, faculty, staff and P. Dukas | Fanfare to precede Wednesday, February 17 Adýna Sahibi: family members present on the “La Péri” “Adaptability, a Call to Action,” by Prof. Dr. Kürþat Aydoðan Dr. Davis Calas, at 12:30 p.m. Bilkent campus. R. Premru | Five Movements from Sorumlu Yazý Ýþleri Müdürü: Organized by IAED. Ads are limited to 20 words. Divertimento Deadline is at noon Wednesday, Hande Seçkin Onat G. Gershwin | “An American in Paris” one week prior to the edition in which Yayýnýn Türü: Yerel Süreli Yayýn G. Rossini | “Largo al factotum” Friday, February 19 the ad is to be run. G. Gershwin | “Rhapsody in Blue” “The Debt Payment Puzzle: An Classified ads should be emailed to Yayın Aralığı: Haftalık Experimental Investigation,” by Hakan [email protected]. G. Bizet | “Carmen” Suite Yayýn Kurulu: Kürþat Aydoðan, Recording: November 29, 2020, Özyılmaz (University of California), at 5 p.m. Organized by FBA. Reyyan Ayfer, Hande Seçkin Onat, Bilkent Concert Hall Connect with Örsan Örge, Kamer Rodoplu “Vestiges of the Past” Friday, February 19 Editör: Diane Ewart Grabowski Bilkent Symphony Orchestra “The Rich Marine and Coastal Bilkent via: Yönetim Yeri: Bilkent Üniversitesi Ayrton Desimpelaere, conductor Biodiversity of Turkish Seas,” by Facebook:BilkentUniversitesi Rektörlük, Ýletiþim Ofisi, 06800 Dritan Gani, double bass Cem Orkun Kıraç, at 6 p.m. Twitter: @BilkentUniv Bilkent, Ankara C.P.E. Bach | Symphony in D major, Organized by LAUD. YouTube: BilkentUniversitesi Instagram:@BilkentUniv Telefon: (312) 290-1487 H. 663 (Wq. 183/1) CONFERENCES C.D. von Dittersdorf | Concerto for LinkedIn: Bilkentuniversity Basýldýðý Yer: Meteksan Matbaacýlýk Double Bass in E major Wednesday, February 17 ve Teknik Sanayi Tic. A.Þ. 1606. Cad. P.I. Tchaikovsky | Tasarım Bilkent ’20 Webinar Series: No:3 06800 Bilkent, Ankara “Souvenir de Florence,” Op. 70 “Gözlükule Kazı ve Araştırma Bilkent News (ext. 1487) welcomes Find us on Recording: December 10, 2020, Merkezi Projesi,” by Saadet Sayın, at Social feedback from readers. Please submit Bilkent Concert Hall 5:30 p.m. Organized by Tasarım ve Media your letters to [email protected]. Mimarlık Topluluğu. The Editorial Board will review the “Horn, Horn” letters and print them as space permits. Ayrton Desimpelaere, conductor Tuesday, February 23 100% Post Consumer Mustafa Kaplan, horn “Inclusive Design in Urban