Education

• PhD Candidate Present

  Communication and Media Studies

  Eastern Mediterranean University

• MA 2017

  Communication and Media Studies

  Eastern Mediterranean University

• BA 2010

  Radio, TV and Film Studies

  Eastern Mediterranean University

Honors & Fellowships

• 20222014

  Graduate Research Fellowship & Full Tuition Scholarship | Eastern Mediterranean University

  • Awarded a comprehensive, merit-based full tuition waiver and graduate stipend covering the entirety of the M.A. program and the coursework phase of the Ph.D. program.

  • Granted concurrently with a formal appointment as a Research & Teaching Assistant.

Academic Appointments

• Present2022

  Senior Instructor

  Eastern Mediterranean University

  COMM142: Basic Photography

  • Delivered comprehensive lectures and practical lab sessions on digital photography fundamentals, including manual camera controls, lighting composition, and post-processing workflows.
  • Evaluated and critiqued student portfolios focused on visual journalism, documentary photography, and digital media aesthetics.

  COMM201: History of Communication

  • Examined the historical evolution of communication technologies from the printing press to the digital era, focusing on how shifting media paradigms reshape societal structures.
  • Guided students in analyzing historical media case studies to understand the foundational roots of contemporary network societies and digital communication systems.

  COMM208: Communication Theories

  • Taught core classical and contemporary communication theories, facilitating critical discussions on media effects, cultural studies, audience reception, and digital sociology.
  • Assessed students’ abilities to apply theoretical communication frameworks to analyze modern digital media environments and network society structures.

  COMM321: Intercultural Communication Skills

  • Explored the dynamics of cross-cultural communication, analyzing how diverse cultural backgrounds, values, and global environments impact interpersonal and media interactions.
  • Guided students in developing cultural literacy and practical communication strategies to successfully navigate multicultural professional settings and globalized media networks.

  COMM322: Interpersonal Communication Skills

  • Taught foundational theories and practical techniques of dyadic interaction, focusing on verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, conflict resolution, and relationship building.
  • Facilitated interactive workshops and communication exercises to enhance students’ empathetic listening, emotional intelligence, and professional communication skills in team environments.

  NMEJ103: Social Media and Communication

  • Introduced the sociological, cultural, and political impacts of mainstream social media networks, examining changing audience engagement patterns and digital ecosystem dynamics.
  • Trained students to analyze user-generated content, understand platform-specific viral trends, and critically evaluate the role of algorithmic curation in shaping modern public discourse.

  NMEJ107: Creating News Portal

  • Taught the technical and operational infrastructure of digital journalism, including content management systems (CMS), web hosting, and responsive design fundamentals.
  • Led hands-on laboratory sessions where students built, launched, and managed professional, functional online news portals from scratch.

  NMEJ108: Video and Sound Production

  • Provided hands-on technical and creative training in multi-platform digital storytelling, including field recording, audio mixing, and non-linear video editing.
  • Mentored students through the full production pipeline for creating broadcast-ready digital audio/video content, podcasts, and mobile journalism packages.

  NMEJ205: Social Media Data Mining

  • Developed syllabus and taught methods for extracting, filtering, and interpreting large-scale data from major social media platforms.
  • Trained students in digital footprint analysis, audience sentiment tracking, and computational communication research methods to detect digital trends and network behaviors.

  NMEJ213: Social Media Planning

  • Instructed students on the core principles of digital branding, content scheduling, and corporate communication strategies across major social media platforms.
  • Trained students to design data-driven social media campaigns and utilize platform analytics to measure audience engagement and optimization.

  NMEJ252: News Editing Techniques

  • Introduced the intellectual and practical post-production workflows for digital journalism, focusing on temporal pacing, storytelling structures, and audience attention retention.
  • Mentored students in advanced non-linear editing (NLE) software to splice, sequence, and output tight, broadcast-ready online and television news packages.

  NMEJ311: Data Journalism

  • Instructed students on data acquisition, cleaning, and analysis techniques for investigative reporting, bridging the gap between computational tools and traditional journalism ethics.
  • Guided undergraduate projects focused on scraping, analyzing, and visualizing public datasets using modern data journalism frameworks and interactive mapping tools.

  NMEJ321: Video Journalism

  • Provided intensive training in mobile journalism (MoJo) and field reporting, emphasizing the technical integration of composition, lighting, and audio in fast-paced breaking news environments.
  • Supervised student field projects focused on investigative visual reporting, on-camera interviewing techniques, visual ethics, and editorial timeliness.

  NMEJ352: Varieties of Story Telling

  • Instructed students on the principles of digital non-linear storytelling, exploring diverse creative formats including micro-documentaries, social media video packages, and corporate video profiles.
  • Guided students through the conceptualization and production phases of transforming complex data or human-interest narratives into engaging, multi-platform visual content.

  NMEJ360: Alternative Media in the Information Era

  • Facilitated critical discussions on the changing role of journalists and citizen content creators in an era independent of traditional, legacy newsrooms.
  • Analyzed the political economy and sociocultural impacts of decentralized digital technologies on mainstream journalism practices and public discourse.

  NMEJ383: Newspaper Design

  • Lectured on the core principles of visual design, grid systems, typography, and layout aesthetics for multi-page print and digital editorial products.
  • Trained students in industry-standard desktop publishing software to design, format, and prep-for-press newspapers, magazines, and interactive brochures.

  NMEJ384: Internet Journalism

  • Covered the evolution, core frameworks, and professional practices of web-based reporting, emphasizing real-time news delivery, hyperlink structures, and interactive multimedia packaging.
  • Instructed students on search engine optimization (SEO) strategies for news, digital audience analytics tracking, and ethical standards unique to native online newsrooms.

  ---

  Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design

  YMED102: Web Technologies

  • Introduced the foundational technical building blocks of the World Wide Web, focusing on semantic HTML5 architectures, responsive CSS3 styling, and standard web hosting protocols.
  • Guided students through the entire lifecycle of planning, developing, and deploying accessible, user-friendly websites aligned with modern visual and technical web standards.

  YMED103 / PHVD111: Basic Photography

  • Delivered technical and aesthetic instruction on digital photography fundamentals, covering manual camera operations, exposure variables, studio lighting, and creative composition.
  • Mentored students in developing professional visual portfolios while mastering digital asset management and destructive/non-destructive image editing workflows.

  GİTA132: Computer Graphics and Images

  • Instructed students in the theories and practices of digital imaging, computer graphics production, vector/bitmap processing, and visual asset preparation for diverse media outputs.
  • Trained students in industry-standard graphic design software to manipulate, optimize, and synthesize complex visual elements for creative layouts and branding projects.

  YMED204: Interaction Design

  • Explored the principles of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design, teaching methods for crafting intuitive, user-centered interactive digital systems and applications.
  • Supervised student projects focused on modern design methodologies, including user journey mapping, wireframing, high-fidelity prototyping, and usability testing workflows.

  DIME301: Writing Skills

  • Cultivated advanced writing competencies across diverse media formats, focusing on clarity, narrative structure, target audience adaptation, and professional editing standards.
  • Trained students to draft impactful and ethically grounded media scripts, creative copy, public relations packages, and investigative journalistic articles.

• 20222015

  Research Assistant

  Eastern Mediterranean University

  NMEJ107: Creating News Portal

  • Taught the technical and operational infrastructure of digital journalism, including content management systems (CMS), web hosting, and responsive design fundamentals.
  • Led hands-on laboratory sessions where students built, launched, and managed professional, functional online news portals from scratch.

  NMEJ108: Video and Sound Production

  • Provided hands-on technical and creative training in multi-platform digital storytelling, including field recording, audio mixing, and non-linear video editing.
  • Mentored students through the full production pipeline for creating broadcast-ready digital audio/video content, podcasts, and mobile journalism packages.

  NMEJ205: Social Media Data Mining

  • Developed syllabus and taught methods for extracting, filtering, and interpreting large-scale data from major social media platforms.
  • Trained students in digital footprint analysis, audience sentiment tracking, and computational communication research methods to detect digital trends and network behaviors.

  NMEJ252: News Editing Techniques

  • Introduced the intellectual and practical post-production workflows for digital journalism, focusing on temporal pacing, storytelling structures, and audience attention retention.
  • Mentored students in advanced non-linear editing (NLE) software to splice, sequence, and output tight, broadcast-ready online and television news packages.

  NMEJ321: Video Journalism

  • Provided intensive training in mobile journalism (MoJo) and field reporting, emphasizing the technical integration of composition, lighting, and audio in fast-paced breaking news environments.
  • Supervised student field projects focused on investigative visual reporting, on-camera interviewing techniques, visual ethics, and editorial timeliness.

  NMEJ384: Internet Journalism

  • Covered the evolution, core frameworks, and professional practices of web-based reporting, emphasizing real-time news delivery, hyperlink structures, and interactive multimedia packaging.
  • Instructed students on search engine optimization (SEO) strategies for news, digital audience analytics tracking, and ethical standards unique to native online newsrooms.

  Workshops :

  Basic Editing Workshop

  Eco-Journalism Workshop

• 20152014

  Teaching Assistant

  Eastern Mediterranean University

  COMM341: Advanced Photography

  • Conducted specialized studio sessions focused on advanced commercial lighting, macro-photography, photojournalistic essay curation, and professional color grading.
  • Curated and organized end-of-semester student visual portfolios and digital photography exhibitions within the faculty gallery spaces.

  RTVF502: Video Production: Studio and Field

  • Oversaw television studio control rooms and field production operations, ensuring technical readiness of multi-camera switchers, audio boards, and teleprompters.
  • Provided advanced mentorship to graduate students managing complex documentary or studio-based television production pipelines from concept to final cut.

  RTVF505: New Social Media Literacies

  • Assisted the primary professor in administering course modules centered on digital citizenship, algorithmic awareness, mis/disinformation patterns, and digital privacy.
  • Evaluated graduate-level research proposals examining user behavior, digital echo chambers, and the socio-political impact of social networking platforms.

  RTVF519: Producing the News: Digital Journalism and Social Media

  • Supported graduate-level seminars by compiling academic literature on contemporary gatekeeping theories, digital platform economies, and network society dynamics.
  • Co-facilitated critical group discussions regarding the systemic shifts from traditional broadcast models to decentralized, algorithmically-driven newsrooms.

Publications

Conference Presentations

Academic / University Service

• Present2014

  Mentorship | Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at EMU

  • Mentored high-achieving undergraduate students in career development, facilitating industry placements and providing ongoing technical guidance.

  • Advised independent student projects and competition entries, bridging the gap between theory and practice by integrating students into the faculty newspaper (EMU Gündem) for hands-on journalism experience.

• 20212017

  Journal Secretary | Kadın/Woman 2000

  • Managed editorial workflows, conducting pre-editorial screening of manuscripts and facilitating correspondence between authors, editors, and peer reviewers.

  • Spearheaded the technical installation, configuration, and ongoing administration of the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

• 20212017

  Member of Executive Board | Center of Research and Communication for Peace

  • Co-organized the 5th International Conference in Communication and Media Studies, overseeing participant submissions, event logistics, and technical website operations.

  • Directed the end-to-end design, editorial compilation, and publication process for the official conference proceedings book.

Projects

• Present2021

  Founder & Director | BEKCAN Institute

  • Established and direct an independent, open-access academic research institute dedicated to promoting scientific visibility, open science practices, and high-fidelity scholar communication.
  • Curate a verified, peer-to-driven digital ecosystem that connects multi-disciplinary experts to facilitate rigorous peer interactions, collaborative academic debates, and algorithmic ethic research free from informational noise.

• Present2018

  Founder & Community Lead | Bana Bir Sebep Ver

  • Founded and cultivate a progressive online student community and independent multimedia platform designed to support aspiring writers, visual creators, and digital storytellers.
  • Manage the network’s digital infrastructure and structured framework, providing users with dynamic content-creation environments to share ideas, publish critiques, and engage in meaningful social discourse.

Professional / Industry Experience

• Present2022

  Communication Specialist | Freelance

  • Formulated and executed data-driven digital communication strategies, social media campaigns, and brand identity solutions for diverse corporate clients and independent brands.
  • Analyzed audience engagement metrics and platform algorithms to optimize digital content distribution, maximizing online visibility and organic reach.

• 20252023

  Editor in Chief | Cyprus Dive Magazine

  • Led the editorial vision, content strategy, and multi-platform publishing workflows for the magazine, overseeing a team of contributing writers, photographers, and designers.
  • Managed the end-to-end production pipeline, including copy editing, visual curation, layout design, and digital distribution, while maintaining high editorial and ethical standards.

• 20222019

  Editor in Chief | EMU Gündem Newspaper

  • Directed the daily operations and newsroom strategy of the university’s official publication, managing a dynamic team of student reporters and photojournalists.
  • Mentored aspiring journalists in breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, page layout design, and adherence to professional media ethics.

• 20142012

  Project Manager | Ajans CBC Medya Hizmetleri

  • Oversaw the successful execution of multimedia production, digital marketing, and corporate advertising projects from conceptual design to final client delivery.
  • Coordinated cross-functional creative teams, optimized production budgets, and managed high-profile client relations to ensure project timelines were strictly met.

• 20122011

  Cameraman | LineTV

  • Operated professional broadcast video cameras and equipment for live television programs, studio shoots, and fast-paced field reporting.
  • Collaborated closely with directors and news producers to ensure high-quality visual composition, dynamic lighting setups, and technical broadcast readiness.

• 20112011

  Producer | Bidolu TV

  • Conceptualized, budgeted, and scheduled digital video programs and entertainment content tailored for nascent online streaming audiences.
  • Managed pre-production research, talent casting, script adjustments, and post-production workflows to deliver highly engaging web-native media assets.

• 20112011

  Editor | 35mm Stüdyo Hizmetleri

  • Executed professional non-linear video editing, multi-track audio mixing, and color grading for commercial video projects and short-form media productions.
  • Maintained strict organization of digital asset libraries and ensured delivery of optimized exports across various digital and broadcast specifications.

Service & Professional Affiliations

• Present2016

  Individual Member

  Project AWARE

• 20212017

  Member of Executive Board

  Center of Research and Communication for Peace

• 20142004

  Individual Member

  GreenPeace

• 20122011

  Member

  Bursa Progressive Journalists Association

• 20032002

  Member of Executive Board

  Bursa Cinema Association

• 20022001

  Member of Executive Board

  Bursa Youth Council

Additional Skills / Certifications

• Present2016

  IDC Staff Instructor

  PADI

Languages

•    Turkish (Native)
•    English (Advanced) [Professional Working Proficiency]
•    French (Beginner)