(March 14, 2017) -- Meet Burcu Ozsoy ’10. She’s the director of the Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center (PolReC), the first Turkish polar research center.
A native of Turkey, Ozsoy was living in San Antonio and looking for an advisor to help her continue her passion for geological research. As an undergraduate student, she studied surveying engineering and used satellite images to detect oil spills on the surface of the ocean.
She soon found her way to the UTSA Department of Geological Sciences, where she met with Professor Hongjie Xie. She e-mailed him after discovering he had experience in the type of research she was interested in pursuing.
“I was very lucky to meet with Dr. Xie,” Ozsoy said. “He was using satellite images to do two things: observe the surface of Mars and study sea ice in Antarctica. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to study Antarctica, and I’m still quite happy with my choice many years later.”
As a Ph.D. student, Ozsoy worked closely with Xie and Stephen Ackley, UTSA research associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, in their Laboratory for Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, which focuses on sea ice, water resources and the remote sensing of the Mars surface.
“I have amazing memories being a student in that lab,” Ozsoy said. “Dr. Xie and Dr. Ackley created a strong, close-knit team that I loved studying with. I owe them all of my knowledge.”
As a student, Ozsoy joined Xie on a scientific expedition to Antarctica on a Swedish icebreaker as part of a research project to study sea ice. The voyage had a deep impact on Ozsoy, who was inspired to continue Antarctic research after her graduation from UTSA in 2010.
“The chance to have that experience as a young scientist was transformative,” she said.
After her graduation, Ozsoy returned to Turkey and worked initially as a lecturer at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) but was soon promoted to assistant professor.
“I enjoyed giving lectures about statistics, computer science and marine environmental management,” she said. “But my heart was still beating for Antarctica.”
The UTSA alumna continued her Antarctic research at ITU and, soon after her promotion, began working to establish a polar research center.
“It took two years of dedication,” she said. “In 2015, the ITU Polar Research Center was officially established.”
The center’s mission is to research the future of the Antarctic, raise public awareness of the region, and foster intercollegiate and international research collaboration. Since its founding, Ozsoy has served as the director of the center and has been successful in securing increasing amounts of funding to advance its mission.
PolReC regularly conducts scientific expeditions to Antarctica. Ozsoy departed with her team for the most recent mission on February 25 and has plans to return in April. She has also taken inspiration from her UTSA mentors by creating opportunities for young scientists to study in Antarctica.
“I’m glad to give these chances to researchers. I was given the opportunity once and it changed my whole life,” Ozsoy said. “When I look back, I’m grateful for my meeting with Dr. Xie at UTSA. I feel lucky for meeting Dr. Ackley and being able to lose myself in this big, beautiful continent called Antarctica. I recommend that the younger generation trust themselves and be encouraged to step forward and be adventurous. They will not regret it. I’m certain.”
Do you know a Roadrunner who is achieving great things? Email us at social@utsa.edu so that we may consider your suggestion for our next installment of Meet a Roadrunner.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Learn to use the simple but powerful features of EndNote®, a citation management tool. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography.
Virtual EventLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventOur GSAW Research Symposium begins with lunch and a Poster Presentation Competition. Faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to attend and review the exceptional research from UTSA's best and brightest.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusHear from UTSA doctoral candidate in environmental science, Andre Felton, as he discusses best practices to discuss scholarly research in non-academic settings. Our 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winners will also share their winning presentations.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusJoin this fun event if you want resume and interview resources, a job or internship, a snow cone from Kona Ice and to socialize.
Sombrilla PlazaIn partnership with San Antonio Metro Health, join us for a special lecture series during Public Health week! An esteemed panel will discuss the job market’s impact on public health departments in Texas municipalities.
Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02,) Main CampusThe Task Force for the Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber, Computing, and Data Science at UTSA initiative will hold a virtual Campus Forum to discuss their findings in Phase I (data gathering). UTSA faculty, staff and students will have an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas before the Task Force moves into Phase II.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.