I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside. My research focuses on political psychology and political behavior, with particular attention to how identity—whether ethnic, racial, religious, or generational—shapes political participation and policy preferences. Methodologically, I draw on a range of approaches, including interviews, surveys, experiments, machine learning models, and qualitative text analysis.

My dissertation uses a mixed-methods design—combining interviews, surveys, and experiments—to examine how the perceived source of Islamophobia shapes Muslims’ emotional responses to discrimination and, in turn, how those emotional reactions influence political participation. This project is supported by several prestigious grants, including the APSA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant and the APSA Centennial Center Research Grant.

Before beginning my Ph.D. at UCR, I earned a B.A. in Psychology from Istanbul Bilgi University and an M.A. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Sabancı University. From 2015 to 2019, I also worked as a research assistant in the Psychology Department at Sabancı University.

Outside of work, I enjoy exploring new places, hiking, and playing my ukulele. I am also a devoted fan of The Lord of the Rings.