Tuesday: Partly Cloudy September 24, 2013 8°C / 19°C Wednesday: Partly Cloudy Volume 20 9°C / 22°C Number 2 Thursday: Partly Cloudy 11°C / 25°C Friday: Partly Cloudy bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr İLKENT EWS 13°C / 25°C B Weekly Newspaper of Bilkent UniversityN Bilkent Again Dr. Jeffrey M. Friedman Receives Honorary Ranks Among Doctorate from Bilkent World’s Top 500 Universities n the most recent World University Rankings report released on September 2013 by Quacquarelli Symonds, Ione of the world's leading networks for careers and education, Bilkent University has again been ranked among the top 500, one of only three universities in Turkey to achieve this distinction. The list places Bilkent in the group of universities ranked 431-440. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranked first, Harvard University second and the University of Cambridge third. The two other Turkish universities to be included in the top 500 list BY ALPER ÖZKAN (MSN/PhDIII) for his discovery of the satiety- factor” that the ob/ob mice weren’t able are Middle East Technical Bilkent News regulating hormone leptin. Following a to produce, and the db/db mice University, which is in the group of concert by Bilkent’s Brassmania produced in massive abundance but universities ranked 431-440, and ast Friday, Bilkent University ensemble and an introduction by Prof. couldn’t react to. Boğaziçi University, which is in the was host to the honorary Tayfun Özçelik, Prof. Friedman received In 1994, as the culmination of eight group of universities ranked 461- doctorate ceremony for Dr. his honorary doctorate from Rector years of toil, Dr. Friedman identified 470. Jeffrey M. Friedman, Marilyn Abdullah Atalar and delivered this this very factor -- which he named For more information about the M. Simpson Professor of Molecular QS rankings: year’s İhsan Doğramacı Memorial leptin, after the Greek word for “thin.” LGenetics at Rockefeller University and a Lecture. Having determined the factor http://www.topuniversities.com distinguished molecular biologist noted Dr. Friedman began his talk by responsible for regulating hunger (or reviewing the research that preceded the lack thereof), Dr. Friedman then Bilkent Instructor’s his own work, the basis being the moved to identify the tissues in which discovery in 1949 of a mutation in mice this particular hormone was expressed, Documentary that resulted in obesity. The mutation and found that satiation was was called ob/ob (i.e., the mice had two determined by adipocytes, once thought Named Best at Film alleles of the obese gene). The next to be little more than storage vessels for Festival in US piece of the puzzle was heralded by the surplus fat. In fact, adipocytes are now parabiosis experiments of Dr. Douglas known to regulate the blood Coleman, which used two varieties of concentration of leptin, informing the obese mice -- the familiar ob/ob, and a brain of the body's current energy new mutant called db/db -- and implied reserves and allowing us to tread the that the blood contained a “satiety (Continued on Page 3) COMD Graduate’s Short Film to Appear at Five International Film Festivals BY SENA KAYASÜ (ARCH/II) Bilkent News BY SENA KAYASÜ (ARCH/II) üçlü Aydoğdu’s Bilkent News (COMD/’11) short film epartment of “Hunger” is set to be Communication and shown at five international Design instructor Kaan filmG festivals. Güçlü graduated from Olguntürk has returned the Communication and Design Dfrom an international film festival Department as valedictorian in with two awards. The 2013 2011 after completing his Intendence Film Festival took place undergraduate studies in three in June in Denver, Colorado. Mr. years. “Hunger” is the first Olguntürk won the “Best short film he has directed Documentary Film Award,” as since graduating. selected by the viewers, as well as The shooting of “Hunger” the “Best International took place in autumn 2012 at Documentary Award” given by the Lake Tuz in Central Anatolia. jury. (Continued on Page 3) (Continued on Page 3) Bilkent News 2 NEWS Prominent Celebrating Prof. İnalcık’s Birthday, Faculty Biochemist to Guests Get a Surprise Promotions Discuss Biology March - September 2013 Past and Future at Selim Aksoy, Assistant Professor FS Seminar in the Department merican Cancer Society of Computer Lifetime Research Engineering, Professor Bruce Michael Faculty of Alberts will be visiting Engineering, was promoted to the Bilkent University to give a talk as part rank of Associate Professor, ofA the Faculty of effective March 27, 2013. Science Seminar Series. Prof. Ayşe Özlem Alberts’s talk, Sandıkcı, Assistant entitled: “Biology Professor in the Past and Biology Faculty of Business Future: Where Have Administration, was We Been and Where promoted to the rank Are We Going?”, of Associate Professor, effective will be held at Mithat Çoruh March 27, 2013. Auditorium on Wednesday, BY ALP RODOPLU (HIST/MA) bombardment of the city, from September 25, at 3:40 p.m. Bilkent News which he and his biographer, Emine Bülent Ünal, A prominent biochemist with a Çaykara, had inferred his birthdate to n September 7, an event Assistant Professor strong commitment to the be September 7, 1916. celebrating what was in the Department improvement of science and At this point, Ms. Çaykara stepped thought to be Prof. Halil of Mathematics, mathematics education, Prof. Alberts in at Halil Hoca’s invitation, and to Faculty of Science, is known for his work in science public İnalcık’s 97th birthday took place at the Bilkent Hotel. Guests the astonishment of the audience, was promoted to policy as well as for his study of the O which consisted predominantly of included faculty and students of the the rank of Associate Professor, protein complexes that enable Department of History, Rector historians and historians-in-training, effective March 27, 2013. chromosome replication when living Abdullah Atalar, Dean Talat Halman, announced that he was turning not cells divide. He is an original author of Dean Dilek Önkal, family members, 97, but 96! This interjection drew a Michelle Adams, the leading cell biology textbook delighted if somewhat bewildered Assistant Professor friends and past students, among “Molecular Biology of the Cell.” whom were Prof. Özer Ergenç of the reaction from the guests, who warmly in the Department of Prof. Alberts is professor emeritus applauded the news. Some, referring Psychology, Faculty Department of History (Prof. İnalcık’s in the Department of Biochemistry first doctoral student) and Prof. İlber to Benjamin Button, suggested that of Economics, and Biophysics at the University of perhaps next year we would be Administrative and Ortaylı (who also previously taught at California, San Francisco, to which he Bilkent). Midway through the evening, celebrating Prof. İnalcık’s 95th birthday. Social Sciences, was returned after serving two six-year Following this surprise, the promoted to the rank of Associate the announcement of a surprising terms as president of the National discovery by Prof. İnalcık’s biographer evening continued with dinner as Professor, effective July 18, 2013. Academy of Sciences. He is also proved to be the highlight of the Halil Hoca personally invited the editor-in-chief of Science magazine celebration. guests to enjoy the feast prepared for Özcan Öztürk, and United States science envoy to The event began around 7 p.m. them in his honor. This in part Assistant Professor Pakistan and Indonesia. brought an end to the debates that in the Department with a cocktail hour and a mini- Widely recognized for his work in might have been expected to emerge of Computer slideshow on Halil Hoca’s life. After the fields of biochemistry and upon such a pronouncement in a Engineering, speeches by Prof. Atalar and Prof. molecular biology, Prof. Alberts has Ortaylı, Prof. İnalcık blew out the room full of historians, in a great Faculty of earned many honors and awards, Engineering, was promoted to the candles of a magnificent cake and many of whose development including 16 honorary degrees. He rank of Associate Professor, then spoke briefly to thank the guests Halil İnalcık, “the professor’s currently serves on the advisory boards effective July 18, 2013. and say a bit about the period when professor” (Hocaların Hocası), had of more than 25 nonprofit institutions. he was born, to an Ottoman citizen played an instrumental role, during World War One. His personally or through his works. And Double Honors for BELS Poet documents having been lost, Prof. it was this fact that was really İnalcık had relied on his mother’s celebrated on the night, for elanie Swetz, The Bridport Arts Centre account for the date of his birth. although Halil Hoca’s age is perhaps head of the (UK) has shortlisted one of According to it, he was born in open to discussion, the importance Department of her poems from among 7,700 İstanbul during a British and influence of his work is not. English and entries for the 2013 Bridport Mlibrarian at Bilkent Erzurum Prize for Poetry. The Laboratory School (BELS), shortlisted poem, “Rio,” is has been honored for the second time about a Brazilian beach, a topical both by the Norman Mailer Center subject in view of the upcoming World and the Bridport Arts Centre for her Cup and Olympics in that country. poetry. Ms. Swetz, a veteran English and Ms. Swetz was awarded a second drama teacher, began writing poetry scholarship to attend the Norman 15 years ago in West Africa. She Mailer Writers Colony this year. She describes how it happened: “The and two other poets spent one week poems would fall out with great this summer at Normal Mailer’s plunks, just like the mangoes and home in Brooklyn Heights and at the avocados from the trees outside my Brooklyn Heights Historical Society.