Daughters of Ataturk Women of Distinction Award for 2002
Dr. Ferda Akdas Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Dr. Ferda Akdas was born in Trabzon, Turkey in 1948.  She graduated from Ankara Kiz Lisesi and from Hacettepe University, School of Social Sciences, Division of Psychology in 1969.  Dr. Akdas is the first audiologist in Turkey.  She spent one and one-half years in LGI Hospital in Leeds, United Kingdom studying principles of Speech Therapy.  Dr. Akdas became Associate Professor of Audiology in 1983 and Professor of Audiology in 1988.  She is the present chairperson of the Department of Audiology at Marmara University, which she has founded.  She is in charge of the Masters and Doctoral programmes at the Institute of Health Sciences.  Dr. Akdas is member of the Executive Committee of the International Society of Audiology.	No Picture
Derin Altay Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Derin Altay was born in Chicago, Illinois to Sakip and Camille Altay.  Her father, Sakip Mehmet Altay was born in Istanbul, Turkey and her mother is a descendant of Polish immigrants.  Sakip and Camille met while attending the University of Illinois.  Sakip studied architecture and engineering and became a successful architect in Chicago, Illinois.  Derin is one of seven siblings.  Sakip passed away a few years ago.  Camille and her children and their families live in Chicago. Ms. Altay won international fame when after playing the role of Eva Peron in the Harold Prince/Andrew Lloyd Weber hit musical “Evita” on Broadway.  She was chose to represent the musical in the Scandinavian and European tours.  Most recently she was seen on Broadway in the revival of “Show Boat” playing the role of Julie in the award-winning Harold Prince/Susan Stroman production.  Ms. Altay also has an extensive background in film and television.  She can be seen in “Bruno” directed by Shirley MacLaine, “Bastard Out of Carolina” directed by Anjelica Houston, “Texas Cadet Murders” and “The Ruby Bridges Story” directed by Euzhan Palcy.  Her television credits include Norman Lear’s “The Baxters,” “American Gothic” and “The Twilight Zone.”  Look for her also on “As the World Turns.” In June 2000 Ms Altay was heard performing the “Somewhere” solo for the New York City Ballet’s “West Side Story Suite.”  During the summer of 2001 she performed the role of Charlotte in the Philadelphia Orchestra’s concert production of “A Little Night Music.”  Both of the were conducted by her husband Paul Gemignani.  This spring, Ms. Altay will be in the Philadelphia at the Arden Theatre performing in their production of James Joyce’s “The Dead.”    She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and son, Augie.	No Picture
Feza Altinoglu Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award The late Feza Altinoglu of Phoenix, Arizona was one of those power engines in her Turkish American community.  She continually struggled to pass her cultural heritage to the new generations, to our children. She was a beacon of Turkish American community in her quiet but caring and determined style.  She had not only served on the board of the Turkish American Association of Arizona (TAAZ) for several years, but also served as the president of the association since 1999, when she spearheaded major efforts to arrange fundraising activities, including a telethon, following the devastating earthquake in Turkey.  She was a role model for all Turkish Americans, young and old, in civic responsibility and in volunteerism (such as being an organizer for the MS Walk), all the while carrying major responsibilies at home and at work.  Feza was a section leader with Global Information Technology unit of American Express, transferred to Arizona in 1996 with her family from Australia to implement a major imitative she had formulated at American Express in Australia.  Her two sons, 13 and 19 as well as her husband Ilker have also been tireless contributions to TAAZ. Feza, unfortunately passed away after a traffic accident in March2002.  The Turkish American community is devastated by her loss.  The pouring of sympathy and grief from old and young is immense.  With her quiet but determined style of leadership, she was certainly an epitome of modern Turkish woman, highly educated, with strong cultural values, with strong skills in community building, all the while carrying those around her forward, in thinking and in deed.  Feza Altinoglu was a true Daughter of Ataturk with her selflessness, commitment and passion for everything she believed in and worked on.	No Picture
Esin Atil Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Esin Atil, a native of Turkey who resides in Northern Virginia, received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Atil has been the curator of Near Eastern art at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and was also featured extensively as an expert scholar at last year's PBS Documentary on Ottomans and Islam: "Empire of Faith”.  Her books include:      Ceramics from the World of Islam      Islamic Art and Patronage, Treasures from Kuwait      Kalila wa Dimna, Fables  from a 14th Century Arabic Manuscript      Renaissance of Islam, Art of the Mamluks      Suleymanname, The Illustrated History of Suleyman the Magnificent      The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificentt      Turkish Art      Turkish Art of the Ottoman Period      Voyages and Visions 19th Century European Images	No Picture
Suna Atun Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Suna Atun is pharmacist, research and first female ship owner of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Director of A&S ATUN group of companies.  She is a successful businesswoman who has carried her company from a local family company to an internationally reputed one. Suna Atun was born on Jan 21, 1949 in Larnaka, Cyprus.  She is the daughter of Mr. Ahmet Niyazi, Headmaster and Mrs. Rukiye Niyazi.  She completed her intermediate and high school education in Cyprus with honors and was granted with a scholarship for her studies at the University of Istanbul, Faculty of Pharmacy in Turkey.  She graduated with honors in 1972 and returned to Cyprus and established her own chemist shop.  She is married to Ata Atun and has a son Sunat and a daughter Asu. Her community involvement includes serving as the President of Parents Association of Canbulat Primary School, Vice President of Children’s Welfare Organization of Famagusta, Vice President of Parents’ Association of T.M. College.  She is the founder of Revitalise Famagusta Old Town Association in 1999. She is also the founder of Suna and Ata Atun, History of Famagusta Research and Literature Foundation to research and to publish the history and literature of Famagusta town, Famagusta District and Kingdom of Salaminia.  Her studies and research on the past and present conditions of town and inhabitants of Famagusta Old Town were meticulously researched and submitted to an International Symposium held at the local university.  Her research and studies were also submitted to conferences in Turkey, Macedonia and Kazakstan.  Suna Atun has published several books.  Suna Atun was awarded the Woman of the Year award on March 8, 2002.
Judy Light Ayyildiz Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Judy Light Ayyildiz born in West Virginia has a BA in Music Education from Marshall University and an MA in Liberal Arts and an MA in English/Creative Writing from Hollins University.  As a writing consultant for twenty years, she developed writing curriculums in age groups from 5075.  Judy has had honors in poetry and short story and has been widely published.  Other books include Smuggled Seeds (Gusto Press Poet Discovery Winner), Mud Rive (Lintel Press) and three supplementary creative writing and critical thinking texts for students and teachers, she co-authored with Rebekah Woodie Creating Writing Across the Curriculum and Easy Ideas for Busy Teachers (Frank Schaffer) and the Writers’ Express (T.S. Denison Instructional Fair). Nothing but Time evolved from a journal kept during a plight with Guillain-Barre syndrome in 1985.  Currently, Judy is completing a novel set in her husband’s native land, Turkey.	No Picture
Dr. Ilkcan Cokgor Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Dr. Cokgor was born in Izmir, Turkey.  She graduated from Ankara College and Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey.  She  did  her residency at Duke University in North Carolina.  At present, Dr. Cokgor has her own neuro-oncology practice in Bay Area, California.  Her father is a retired airforce general and her mother work for NATO.  She has a brother who also lives in the Bay Area.  She is married to Ilkan Cokgor. She has published and lectured extensively in her specialty.	No Picture
Mona Tekin Diamond Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Mona Diamond is a very active participant in civic and cultural affairs in Atlanta, Georgia.  She participates in the following organizations      Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA)      Turkish American Cultural Association of Georgia (TACAG)      Emory University      Georgia State University      Oglethorpe University      Women’s Auxiliary to the Medical Association of Atlanta (past president)      American Jewish Committee (Board member, Board of Directors and                 the 2000 Women of the Year      The Woodruff Arts Center of Atlanta, Georgia      The Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta, Georgia Mona maintains a high degree of interest in Turkey and its needs.  She is currently working on exchange programs between several Turkish universities and Emory University, Georgia State University and Oglethorpe University. Mona recently chaired the premier performance of “Desperate Hours” a documentary devoted to the heroism of Turkish diplomats who risked their lives during World War II and saved thousands of Jewish and Turkish citizens during the Holocaust. She is President of the Steering Committee to establish an endowed lecture series for Turkish Studies at Emory University. Mona is married to Leonard Diamond and has three sons, Burak, Turan and Kamuran Tekin.	No Picture
Ozlem Kahyaoglu Equils, MD Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Dr. Equils was born in Ankara, Turkey in 1968.  She graduated from Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine in 1991. She did her internship and residency at the Michigan State University in Flint, Michigan.  and her fellowship at UCLA, Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Since 1999 she is a staff Pediatric Infections Diseases physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.  Dr. Equils is married to Douglas J. Equils and has a son, Alexander. She has published many medical papers and has received many awards.	No Picture
Dr. Huguette Bouffard Eyuboglu Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Dr. Eyuboglu was born in  Malartic, Province of Quebec, Canada in 1940.  She graduated from the Laval University of Medical Technology in 1959 and from the University of Istanbul, Department of Pharmacology with a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences in 1976.  Dr. Eyuboglu has worked at the Ottawa General Hospital, St-Louis Marie Monfort Hospital in Eastview, Canada, at Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, USA, at Laleli Teshis Klinigi , Cerrahpasa Medical school, Clinic of Internal Medicine and Department of Pharmacology  and Cagdas Saglik Tes. Medical Center for Oncology patients in Istanbul, Turkey.  She has various publications in Hematology, Immunology, Oncology and Pharmacology/  She has done post graduate work in London (Canada) in Radio-biology, and in Montreal (Canada) at the Institute of Cardiology on the mast cells.  She has published a book on laboratory techniques in Hematology. She is the founding member of International Women of Istanbul and of the Network of Foreign Spouses.  She has worked intensively to improve the legal status of the foreign spouses and for the burial rights of non-Moslems in Turkey.  She was invited to work on the commission preparing the new law proposal on the work of foreigners in Turkey.  She conducted and published a research on culture shock.  She has written a memoir on her experience as a foreign bride in Turkey.  The book is awaiting publication in Canada and Turkey.	No Picture
Suheyla Gencsoy Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Suheyla Gencsoy was born in Istanbul, Turkey.  She is married to Prof. Tahsin Gencsoy.  The Gencsoys moved to Florida in 1955.  Since that time she has become member in many social and charitable as well as educational organizations and continues to support these organizations wholeheartedly.  She is active member of  “Light Brigade for the Blind”, “Cystic Fibrosis Organization”, “South Florida Symphony”, “and International Woman’s Club” among others.  Suheyla and Tahsin Gencsoy have been supports of various cultural and civic activities in Broward County since moving to Fort Lauderdale in 1986. Suheyla Gencsoy is the president and founder of Turkish American Business, Education and Cultural Development Committee (TABEC).  After the tragic events of September 11, 2001 Suheyla Gencsoy has established the Suheyla Gencsoy Spirit of Freedom Scholarship at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton.  This scholarship will bring outstanding students from low-income Turkish families to the United States to study and learn business at FAU.	No Picture
Rachel S. Krespin Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Ms. Krespin was born in Ankara, May 1951.  She graduated from the T.E.D. Ankara College in 1969.  She studied Behavioral Sciences in Ben Gurion University, Israel and lived there for over 20 years.  During her sojourn in Israel, Ms. Krespin was very active in various projects which involved Turkey and the Turkish community in Israel.  She was a member of the Association of Israelis of Turkish origin, an organization committed to strengthening of Turkish-Israeli relations as well as enabling its members to maintain their Turkish identify through social and cultural events.  She participated in the establishment of a Turkish-Sephardic Museum and Library.  She was also involved with the programming of the Israeli Radio in Judeo-Espagnol for Turkish-Jewish audiences.  She moved to Canada in 1991.  She presently lives in Connecticut.  She is associated with Turkish Forum, Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA), and  Association of American Jewish Friends of Turkey (AAJFT) and Daughters of Ataturk.  Her children, Maia (23) and Rafi (9) born outside of Turkey share her deeply imbedded Turkish identity, language and culture.   Ms. Krespin is a true child of Ataturk, shaped and educated in his principles and tries to lead a life that befits such a heritage.  As a woman, she says that there is no day that passes by without her thinking and thanking Ataturk for the light he has shed on our lives and our paths towards claiming our rightful place in human community.	No Picture
Tulin Mangir Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award I have been an educator, consultant, manager, and trainer, worldwide, as well as, a world traveler. I have developed several product ideas, prototypes, troubleshot projects and teams for international companies, around the world. I have more than 20 years of technology and end-to-end product development, and large systems development and integration experience in academic, commercial and government sectors. In addition to academic experience, I have a broad experience base in Fortune-500, as well as multinationals. I have also been a consultant many start-up companies in high tech and Internet based businesses, including the European Economic Commission, and NASA (Ames & JPL). As the Director of e-commerce, Information Technology and Information Systems programs at UCLA, where I developed multi-platform (Microsoft and Unix/Oracle) based end-to-end e-business systems solutions for corporate customers and start-ups.  I am a Distinguished Lecturer (IEEE – LEOS), and Fellow candidate for the IEEE, and am listed in various Who is Who publications, and American Biographical Institute’s 2000 Notable Women.  I have been involved in Turkish Community since my student days. In ’73 when our diplomats in LA were assassinated, we started the first campaign for expressing the opinions of Turkish Americans. In ‘82, when our Los Angeles Council General was murdered, we organized the first mass letter writing campaign for fund raising, formed the first Anti-Defamation Committee, and conducted news conferences and public briefings, including TV appearances. I was the first Western Area V.P for ATAA, between 82-84. I am the founder of new non-profit organization named “TulipGrants” to help young people, especially people who are first time visitors to California and need mentoring and help to get started in their career in the U.S.
Azade-Ayse Rorlich Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Azade-Ayse Rorlich was born in Romania, of Tatar ancestry.  She earned a degree in Russian language and literature from the University of Bucharest, and received her Ph.D. in Russian history from the University of Wisconsin.  Dr. Rorlich is now an Associate Professor of Russian History at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.  Her fluency in the major European languages as well as Russian and the Turkic language has given her unique access to the written and oral material rarely available to Western readers.  She has published extensively in the filed of Russian history, lectures frequently on the role of Islam in the ex-Soviet Union, and is now writing on Muslim women in pre-Revolutionary Russia. She recently lectured in Kazan, Russia, on the Islamic Culture in the Volga-Ural region.	No Picture
Fatma Sarikaya Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Ms. Sarikaya currently divides her time between Turkey and Canada.  She has spent 17 ½ years in Saudi Arabia working as the sole female engineer in Abqaiq and Udhailiyah.  She is a graduate of Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi (Middle Eastern Technical University).  She is an active member of the Turkish-Canadian community from helping build at the Montreal Botanic Gardens a Turkish Peace Garden planted with tulips imported from Turkey under the able leadership of the Honorary Turkish Consul Monsieur Gerard Emin Battika to organizing Turkish days and supporting Turkish interests.	No Picture
Edna Sayir Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award I was born Edna Franco in Istanbul on the 26th of March 1944, my father was Italian and my mother is Turkish, I spent my childhood between Istanbul and Milano. In 1960 we returned to Turkey where I finished IMI the Italian High School and met Mahir Sayir. We married at the Neveh Shalom Synagogue of Istanbul on October ‘64. In November we moved to Zurich, Switzerland were Mahir did his PhD and I learned German and attended University. Jossy, my son was born in 68 and Nadine, my daughter in 70. With two children I stopped University and looked after them, as well as doing some social work with the elderly in homes and hospital. When the children entered school I worked as a translator and interpreter. This was the time Turkish workers started immigrating into Switzerland. They were arriving directly from their villages and had sometimes never seen a city. Some of them could hardly speak an understandable Turkish. They were arriving in a hostile environment, just as cheap labour and were an easy prey for all sorts of manipulators: from religious to political, from sects to criminal, drug abusing and mafia related scenes, from Turkish to foreign. I decided I needed to do something. I entered the Education Ministry of the Canton Zurich first as a translator but quickly moved on helping build classes for displaced children, brought to the country by parents who wanted them to work at the age of 14. Swiss law does not allow youngsters to work before the age of 16. These children were lost: they had done 5 years of schooling in Turkey and then had worked either in the fields or helping their mothers at home. They hardly knew how to read or write. We therefore built special classes with German and Turkish teachers. To help teachers, social workers and job consultants understand the mentality of the Turkish people; I started to give talks once a week to groups of educators and participated to seminars on minorities. In 1984 -85, we moved to Haifa, Israel, where my husband, as a professor at the ETH Zurich benefited of a sabbatical year. When we came back to Zurich, the programme was established and did not need so much involvement. I therefore concentrated on individuals, helping them establish their rights in the Swiss system, in various situations such as work accidents, illnesses or other problems they encountered.  The infrastructure of help lines is very strong in Switzerland, but Turkish working class are either unaware of it, or are prevented by their families to take advantage of the services offered. They are afraid to come forward or to deal with police and tribunal. A long process of conviction is necessary to make them gain confidence and dare to come forward. This is what I still do, although a little less for the past two years, when my husband had a severe stroke: he walks and works again but has difficulties of speech, and cannot use his right hand properly. My children both married and live in Vienna and London. Ironically the one wife lives in London and the one husband lives in Switzerland… So my daughter spends more time with her sister in law than my son. They come as much as they can and we have daily telephone contact. My mother, my sister and her husband and most of both our families live in Istanbul. We visit once a year or every two years, and they visit us here.  This is me “Edna Sayir- Franco” a daughter of Ataturk and a sister to you all.
Gulsah Ugurel Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Gulsah Ugurel was born in Istanbul in 1976.  She graduated from Kutahya Fine Arts High School and from Anadolu University, Department of Fine Arts, specializing in Graphic Arts.  She later on, at the suggestion of her professors, attended the London College of Fashion (UK) and Lasalle International School Fashion (Istanbul).   She is the founder of Tasarimhane Design Group.  She also opened an Art Gallery in Kutahya Kimkambar Sanatevi Gallery. In 1998 she completed her studies at the Turkish Mountaineering Federation and Turkish Search and Rescue.  She currently resides, with her husband, in Brighton, UK.	No Picture
Nurten Ural Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Ms. Ural received her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design degree, School of Human Environment and Design,  Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan,  1978 and her Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design and Human Shelter,  School of Human Environment and Design,  Michigan State University,  East Lansing, Michigan, 1979. Ms. Ural, a very successful businesswoman, who has her own decorating firm, is an exemplary Turkish American woman to manages to combine business, community service and personal interests.  She was a recipient of the 1998 Athena Award, Athena Foundation, Michigan in 1998.  She is currently the Vice President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) for the Midwest region.  She is a past president of the Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan (TACAM).	No Picture
Dr. Phil. Ulya Vogt-Goknil Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Dr. Vogt-Goknil was born in Istanbul in 1921 and studied architecture at the Mimar Sinan University.  After graduation she went to Zurich, Switzerland in 1946 and studied Art History at the University of Zurich.  In 1950 she married A.M. Vogt an art critic at the Neue Zuercher Zeiting who later became a professor at the Swiss Institute of Technology.  The Vogts have two sons. Dr. Vogt-Goknil has published extensively about Turkish architecture.  Her doctoral thesis: “Kuntsgeschichtliche Grundbegriffe und Umraumerlebnis” was published in 1951 in Zurich. Turkische Moscheen was published both in Zurich (in German) and Lausanne (in French) in 1951. Piranesis Carceri Visionen, Zurich 1958. Osmanische Turkei  appeared in the series “Architektur der Welt” in 1965 in Fribourg  (Switzerland) in German, French, English, and Italian. Moscheen, Paris (French) in 1975 Moscheen, Zurich (German) in 1978 Fruislamisiche Bogenwande, Graz (Austria) in 1982 Sinan, Berlin and Tubingen (Germany) 1993.  This book will be published in French next autumn.	No Picture
Barbara Walker Winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award Barbara Walker was born in 1921 in Michigan.  She did both undergraduate and graduate studies at the State University of New York at Albany.  She has taught and traveled in Turkey and continues to be active in Turkish cultural endeavors in the US.  She and her husband run the Archives of Turkish Oral Narrative at the Texas Tech University. Barbara Walker was cited by Turkish Ministry of Education for “Distinguished Achievement in Acquainting Americans with Turkish Culture” in 1967. Her 12 Turkish based books for children were selected by Director General of Cultural Affairs, Greek Ministry of Civilisation and Sciences, for translation into Greek to stress common oral culture of Greeks and Turks in 1983. She was appointed to committee for work with Turkish-American communities in New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC to prepare elementary and secondary school students and faculty for proper appreciation of the Suleyman the Magnificent Exhibit in 1987.  She was awarded a plaque by the American Turkish Association of Houston “in recognition of her valuable endeavors to inform the American public about Turkey” in 1986; Selected to present a seminar on Suleyman the Magnificent at the 1987 annual meeting of the American Friends of Turkey in 1987; she and her husband were awarded a plaque by the Arkadas Turkish Folk Ensemble (San Jose, California) “in recognition of the many years spent in research of Turkish Folklore and Culture in 1987; she and her husband were award with honorary membership in the Ataturk Supreme Council on Culture in Ankara in 1989; she and her husband were awarded a Litt.D. degree by Selcuk University in Konya in 1989.  She has written many Turkish –related books for children as well as for adults.	No Picture