Ayşe Soysal (born June 24, 1948Ayşe Soysal, Kadir Has Üniversitesi, member of the board of trustees.
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mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

. She was the president of

Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi University (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Boğaziçi Üniversitesi''), also known as Bosphorus University, is a Public university, public research university in Istanbul, Turkey, historically tied to a former American educational insti ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

during 2004 to 2008.

Life and career

Born in 1948, she received her high school diploma in 1967 from the

American College for Girls The American Robert College of Istanbul ( or ), often abbreviated as Robert or RC, is a highly selective, independent, co-educational, private high school in Turkey. The school is situated in a wooded campus on the European side of Istanbul in ...

. She received her B.Sc. with high honors in Mathematics and Physics from

(formerly

Robert College The American Robert College of Istanbul ( or ), often abbreviated as Robert or RC, is a Selective school, highly selective, Independent school, independent, mixed-sex education, co-educational, Education in Turkey#Private schools, private Second ...

) in 1971. Soysal pursued further education in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where she received a M.Sc. (1973) and Ph.D. (1976) in mathematics from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, Ann Arbor. She was appointed as a member of faculty in

Department of Mathematics as an assistant professor in 1976. In her long term of instruction, Soysal was renowned as a polite and student-friendly professor. She was appointed associate professor in 1981 and full professor in 1991. Since 2009, Soysal is teaching at

Koç University Koç University () is a private non-profit research university in Istanbul, Turkey. It started education in temporary buildings in İstinye in 1993, and moved to its current Rumelifeneri campus near Sarıyer in 2000. Koç University is ranked hi ...

Department of Mathematics as an adjunct professor. He taught

group theory In abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as group (mathematics), groups. The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as ring (mathematics), rings, field ( ...

, ring theory and fields, Vector spaces model,

topology Topology (from the Greek language, Greek words , and ) is the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of a Mathematical object, geometric object that are preserved under Continuous function, continuous Deformation theory, deformat ...

algebraic topology Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariant (mathematics), invariants that classification theorem, classify topological spaces up t ...

group cohomology In mathematics (more specifically, in homological algebra), group cohomology is a set of mathematical tools used to study groups using cohomology theory, a technique from algebraic topology. Analogous to group representations, group cohomology ...

, differential equations,

linear algebra Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning linear equations such as :a_1x_1+\cdots +a_nx_n=b, linear maps such as :(x_1, \ldots, x_n) \mapsto a_1x_1+\cdots +a_nx_n, and their representations in vector spaces and through matrix (mathemat ...

matrix theory In mathematics, a matrix (: matrices) is a rectangular array or table of numbers, symbols, or expressions, with elements or entries arranged in rows and columns, which is used to represent a mathematical object or property of such an object. ...

real analysis In mathematics, the branch of real analysis studies the behavior of real numbers, sequences and series of real numbers, and real functions. Some particular properties of real-valued sequences and functions that real analysis studies include co ...

complex analysis Complex analysis, traditionally known as the theory of functions of a complex variable, is the branch of mathematical analysis that investigates functions of complex numbers. It is helpful in many branches of mathematics, including algebraic ...

probability theory Probability theory or probability calculus is the branch of mathematics concerned with probability. Although there are several different probability interpretations, probability theory treats the concept in a rigorous mathematical manner by expre ...

commutative algebra Commutative algebra, first known as ideal theory, is the branch of algebra that studies commutative rings, their ideal (ring theory), ideals, and module (mathematics), modules over such rings. Both algebraic geometry and algebraic number theo ...

geometric algebra In mathematics, a geometric algebra (also known as a Clifford algebra) is an algebra that can represent and manipulate geometrical objects such as vectors. Geometric algebra is built out of two fundamental operations, addition and the geometric pr ...

, group representations. Soysal also held office as vice dean of the Boğaziçi University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the chairman of the Department of Mathematics. Between 1992 and 2004, Soysal was elected dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for four consecutive terms. She also represented Boğaziçi University in the Inter-University Council and she held board membership for the

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

branch of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. Between 2008 and 2012, he served as a member of the Scientific Board of

TÜBİTAK The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey (, TÜBİTAK) is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies, support and conduct research and development, and to ...

, the Executive Board of the

TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center The TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (), shortly TÜBİTAK MAM, is a Turkish scientific and technological center carrying out research projects through its subordinate institutes on basic and applied science fields in the area of industrial needs ...

and the Board of Directors of the Feza Gürsey Basic Sciences Research Institute. Between 2009-2013, he served as a member of the General Assembly of the Turkish Council of Higher Education. Soysal was appointed as the president of Boğaziçi University in 2004, and was the first woman who occupied the office. She served as president until August 2008. She retired from her position as professor at Boğaziçi University end 2014. Later, she continued her academic career as part-time professor at

Istanbul Şehir University Istanbul Şehir University () was a private, non-profit university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was established in 2008 by the ''Bilim ve Sanat Vakfı'' (''BiSaV'' or ''BSV'', ). The university started its education in the academic year of 2 ...

.Ayşe Soysal's biography
at The City University of İstanbul.

References

External links

Ayşe Soysal's Homepage at Boğaziçi University
20th-century Turkish mathematicians Living people 1948 births Boğaziçi University alumni Academic staff of Boğaziçi University Alumni of Arnavutköy American High School for Girls Rectors of Boğaziçi University University of Michigan alumni Turkish women academics Women mathematicians Women heads of universities and colleges Academic staff of Istanbul Şehir University Turkish women mathematicians {{Mathematician-stub