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.
