After seven weeks of not exercising at all, I am trying to get back into the rhythm of things. I call this picture The Routines I Missed and the Dirt on the Mirror. Yesterday (08/21/26), we held our annual all-day department meeting, a tradition that takes place each year before classes begin. We gathered around 8:30 a.m. and were welcomed with a light breakfast provided by our generous department. Throughout the morning, our department head briefed us on updates, plans, and

Living the American dream: Coffee to go and a free spot in the parking lot. The semester is over. I am going to repeat: THE SEMESTER IS OVER. Oh, gosh. What a challenge it was to navigate the demands of this term. The way this spring semester took shape was defined by an email I received at the very end of the fall semester. A student wrote, “Thanks for the fun class,” in the email they sent with their take-home final exam. When I read it, I stopped for a second: “Thanks for

For anyone who doesn’t feel like reading all of this, here’s a short, unedited recording from the trip—no narration, no polish, just New York. For anyone who does feel like reading all of this, here’s where it starts. I won’t say “a dream came true,” but it feels fair to say that a long-term plan finally did. Last April, during a particularly difficult period at work, I bought a refundable ticket to Waiting for Godot —a Broadway play starring THE Keanu Reeves—scheduled for D

Speaking at the GLSIAM 2025 Conference, September 27, 2025. Confidence = hand in pocket. What a month it has been! I want to share what...

From my very first walk on the Walnut Street Bridge (also known as the Walking Bridge) on October 10, 2024. It has been one year since I...

Me and my unrealistic goals—always scheduled to start on a tomorrow that never comes. I don’t know where to start. It’s been quite a...

As an academic from a developing country, traveling requires much more preparation compared to colleagues from more developed nations....

Anyways, since the logistics were impossible, we agreed for an on-site zoom interview. On leap day, early in the morning, I had a class...

How did you spend your leap day this year? I hope you got the most out of it, because you know, the next one won’t happen for four years,...

It’s been a while since I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard in this case). Although I do feel obligated to “catch you up” on...

On February 6, one of the strongest earthquakes in a century struck Turkey and Syria and shook us from our beds at around 4 a.m. Nine...

As the world continues to spin despite everything, it is vital for my sanity to distance myself from the pressure of my responsibilities.

In the first week of December, we took a break from our fortnightly seminars on inverse problems which I have been co-organizing since...

The fall semester is almost over. By the end of next month the classes will end to make way for the final exams. After teaching online...

One particular highlight of the month was the national workshop where I was a keynote speaker. “Spring Mathematics Meetings” is an...

If there is anyone waiting to wake up when September ends, well, it is time. Rise and shine! As the autumn weather has turned the leaves...

“Stories happen only to those who are able to tell them, someone once said. In the same way, perhaps, experiences present themselves...

When I first started writing blog posts, the first idea was to write about the daily life applications of mathematics. (Boring and can be...

“You’re averaging more steps a day this year than last year,” is what the health app on my phone said when I hit that little heart icon....

April showers bring May flowers, as well as so many days to celebrate. In addition to Hıdırellez and Mother’s Day, it also holds the...