Ayşe Erzan facts for kids
Ayşe Erzan (born in 1949) is a Turkish theoretical physicist. She studies how things work at a very small, basic level.
Ayşe Erzan has won many important awards. These include the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2003 and the Rammal Award in 2009.
About Ayşe Erzan
Ayşe Erzan was born in 1949 in Ankara, Turkey. She finished her high school studies in Istanbul. After that, she went to college in the United States.
She studied at Bryn Mawr College and earned her first degree in 1970. Then, she continued her studies at Stony Brook University. She received her Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in physics in 1976.
Her Career and Research
After finishing her studies, Ayşe Erzan returned to Turkey. She worked at Middle East Technical University in Ankara for a year. In 1977, she joined Istanbul Technical University.
During this time, she was also involved in groups that worked for peace and equal rights for everyone. In 1980, there was a big change in the government in Turkey. Because of this, she left the country.
From 1981 to 1990, Ayşe Erzan worked and taught at different research places and universities around the world.
- From 1981 to 1982, she worked in Switzerland at the University of Geneva.
- From 1982 to 1985, she was a visiting professor in Portugal at the University of Porto.
- From 1985 to 1987, she was a special researcher in Germany at the University of Marburg.
- From 1987 to 1990, she worked as a research scientist in the Netherlands at the University of Groningen.
She also spent a short time as a research fellow in Italy at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. In 1990, she returned to Istanbul Technical University. She also continued her research at the Feza Gürsey Institute.
Awards and Recognition
Ayşe Erzan became a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences in 1995. She became a full member in 1997. That same year, she won a science prize from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.
In 2003, she received the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. This award celebrates women scientists. In 2009, she won the Rammal Award.
In 2020, she was honored with the Andrei Sakharov Prize by the American Physical Society. This award recognized her long-term dedication to human rights.
Ayşe Erzan is also a member of The World Academy of Sciences. She is also part of The Science Academy Society of Turkey. She helps guide important science journals like the Journal of Statistical Physics and European Physical Journal B.
