Computational social scientist and independent researcher.
As a computer scientist with a PhD in computational linguistics and AI, my interests put me on a path towards computational social sciences. I’m driven by a methodological curiosity (my curiosity is not methodological, I am curious about methods), seeking novel ways to make sense of complex data. I explore a wide range of topics, from the dynamics of international migration to network formation, the building blocks of social capital, and the societal implications of naming practices. These aren’t isolated questions to me; they’re interwoven threads that make up the fabric of society. I see each as an opportunity to dig deeper into the intricate patterns that define our communal lives.
I am a co-founder of the data visualization collective Çilek Ağacı. Between 2012 and 2023 I worked at the original Data Science org and the Computational Social Science Team at Facebook.
Featured Work
Facebook Movement Range Maps
I created a privacy-preserving human mobility dataset during the early COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing differential privacy technique to ensure the privacy of indivudal-level data. The dataset, Fadebook/Meta's most-downloaded one on the Humanitarian Data Exchange platform, informed policy experts and decision makers on the efficacy of the COVID measures. It also helped researchers across the world answer questions on the effect of physical distancing and lockdown policies on public health outcomes, and how societies respond to crises such as emergence of bike lanes during COVID in Europe.
Turkish Election Analyses
At Çilek Ağacı, we have analyzed and visualized pretty much all of the Turkish elections and referenda in the last decade and a half. Check them out here.