About Me

Basic Facts . . .

Born on September 4th, 1971 in Kars, Turkey (Eastern Turkey).
Moved to Istanbul in 1974.
Graduated from Robert College in June 1989 (an American funded bilingual middle/high school).
Moved to the United States for higher education in August 1989.
Graduated from Wellesley College in 1993 with degrees in economics and mathematics.
Graduated from Stanford University with a PhD. in Economics in 1999.
Moved to Chicago in August, 1999 to work at Northwestern University as an assistant professor in economics.
Got married on August 10, 2002 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Had first daughter on August 27, 2004.
Moved to Pittsburgh, PA to work at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2005.
Had second daughter on December 22, 2006.
Still working, living, slaving away in Pittsburgh.

Other facts. . .

I am of Kurdish descent. My name means "night" in Kurdish.
My older daughter's name, Lorin, is also Kurdish. It means "lullaby". It's pronounced "lo-ryn", not lauren.
I have an older brother I am extremely close to. He lives in Milan, Italy with his family.
I have two nieces I cannot communicate with. They don't speak Turkish or English and I don't speak Italian.
I have never had Coke or any other soda in my life. (I must have tasted them as a child, but I have no recollection.)
I have claustraphobia. I am not fond of elevators, or any small, crowded spaces. I get very nervous when entering very crowded restaurants, busses, museums, bars etc.
I have a very weak stomach. I cannot get on amusement park rides, I cannot even get on a swing.
I get sick at the sight of blood and needles.
I am severely allergic to bee stings.
I hate talking on the phone. If you want a long and detailed response from me, e-mail me. I'd rather write than talk.
I never ever read instruction manuals. Hence I never buy any appliance that cannot be operated without a manual.
I love dark chocolate with almonds.
I used to be a medium distance runner in high school. Now the only running I do is after 2 small kids.