Chair of Executive Council 2022:
Hi everyone, my name is Didem. I am honored to take the chair position of uOttawa ACM-Women student chapter for 2022-2024 term. In these consequetive posts, we wanted to introduce ourselves as chapter officers so that you can have a better idea about our background and research interests.
I am a PhD student in Digital Transformation and Innovation (DTI) program under Engineering Faculty. I hold a bachelor’s in business management and have +10 years of interdisciplinary and intercultural managerial work experience. I have decided to change career few years ago and step into tech world with a master’s degree in DTI program which led me on to the PhD program recently. I am interested in new revenue generation models, data monetization, smart cities and sustainability. My research interests are mobile and vehicular crowdsensing, incentive mechanisms in crowdsensing, connected & autonomous vehicles and crisis management in smart cities. I am also a researcher in smart connected vehicles innovation center (SCVIC) of uOttawa in Kanata North campus.
I do not have a background in computing, and it is not a pre-requisite to join our chapter! If you are passionate about women empowerment in STEM like us, then you are welcome here! There are many ways and roles to contribute to the academia and tech industry, so feel free to come join us in uOttawa ACM-W chapter where you will be supported by your peers, feel connected and engaged with a network of STEM professionals.
Vice Chair of Executive Council 2022:
Hello, my name is Eslin. I obtained my bachelors and masters degrees from Yildiz Technical University, Turkey, in the department of Bioengineering. During my undergrad and grad years, I’ve worked on several projects but mainly focused on vaccine research for which I did both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Additionally, I’ve focused on designing biomaterials to culture heart valve cells at Texas University at the department of biomedical engineering, where I did a 6-months internship.
I like to leave my comfort zone and challenge myself with new tasks and am always ready to explore. This is why I started my PhD uOttawa in Electrical and Computer Engineering. My PhD research focuses on optogenetics and neuroscience where I get to combine biology and electricity, which is a new adventure and I am very excited about it.
As a vice chair, my main goal is to expand the reach of our chapter and help bridge the gap between women researchers and tech industry. Come join us and help us reach our goals!
Secretary of Executive Council 2022:
I am a solutions-driven and award-winning early career graduate student with over five years research activities in Asia and North America, that includes computer-assisted surgery training in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), University of Ottawa, Canada. I was awarded an International Doctoral Scholarship to begin my PhD studies in Artificial Intelligence applied to surgical workflow data. Moreover, I received Admission Scholarship- Doctorate in my 3rd year of PhD studies. Prior to this I was the recipient of an Academic Scholarship at the American International University-Bangladesh where I graduated with Summa & Magna Cum Laude distinctions.
I am a member of several organizations including being Vice President of Electrical Engineering Graduate Students’ Association (EEGSA), a student representative at the EECS Faculty Council, and both Secretary & Treasurer and Web coordinator at uOttawa ACM-W Student Chapter – which supports, celebrates, and advocates for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field, along with being a voice for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
As an executive member of uOttawa ACM-W Student Chapter, my aim is to: a) galvanize Women in Tech for pursuing their career in Tech, b) engender a collaborative platform for Women in STEM, c) conserve momentum of a healthy ecosystem in the Tech world for Women.
Executive Council 2022:
- Chair: Didem Cicek Simsek
- Vice Chair: Eslin Ustun Karatop
- Secretary & Treasurer: Faria Jaheen
- Social Media Coordinators: Samhita Kuili
- Dissemination Content Editor: Rahatara Ferdousi
- Web Coordinator: Faria Jaheen
- Industry Relations Coordinator: Scarlett Kelly
- Membership Coordinator (Graduate): Ghazal Asemian and Nahid Parvaresh (Former)
- Membership Coordinator (Undergraduate): Vacant
- Event Coordinator: Han Zhang
Executive Council 2021:
- Chair: Zhiyan Chen
- Vice Chair: Didem Cicek Simsek
- Secretary & Treasurer: Eslin Ustun Karatop
- Social Media Coordinators: Samhita Kuili & Hind Mukhtar
- Dissemination Content Editor: Faria Jaheen
- Web Coordinator: Faria Jaheen
- Industry Liaison: Didem Cicek Simsek
- Membership Coordinator: Nahid Parvaresh
- Event Coordinator: Han Zhang