ALKIM DEMİRCİ

I am currently at my fourth year in Sabancı University as electronics engineering undergraduate student, and I am completing my minor in physics simultaneously. Through my bachelor courses, I first started to learn C++ and Python programming skills, then, I improved my programming skills through self-studying, and hence, received certificates for my programming skills through online platforms.

I also have acquired English and Russian language skills through my middle and high school education because I have traveled and lived in multiple countries in my lifetime. Hence, I currently have an official certificate for my B1 level Russian language skills (which I acquired from A.S. Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language through the Okan University) and TOEFL – IBT certificate for my English language skills, and I continue my education in Sabancı University in English.

Since I was in high school, I have been interested in biology, thus I have attended various science and biology camps and received certifications of excellence which I also mentioned in the above sections. Because of that I am always trying to lean towards academic areas in which I can be able to combine both my interest in biology and technology.

Consecutively, during the second semester of my second year in university, I voluntarily participated in a research project (Biosensor Design and Fabrication for Cancer Detection) organized by the PURE program of our university and supported by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), which I continue to work in. With a sub-group of three people, I work on electro chips of biosensors, which detect the proteins secreted by cancer cells, collect data, and write research articles to contribute to the main research. Therefore, I acquired experience with simulations measuring electric currents and resistances, analyzing complex data, completing calculations, and preparing scientific/professional reports. Moreover, I also became more confident with representing presentations about my research results and more comfortable participating in teamwork.

To improve myself more broadly in my own major and gain a new perspective especially the area of communication techniques used for the electronic and robotic devices, I participated in one more PURE project called Application of Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces in Drone Communications which was also supported by TÜBİTAK. In this project, me and my teammates used simulation softwares called MATLAB and Simulink to create desirable simulation results to compare with the results found in some international academic research articles that were introducing new technical applications of intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS) in delivery of signals between the devices such as drones in high frequencies, by which the efficiency of the IRS was also proven. Thanks to this project, I could get an opportunity to improve my skills in the specific programming language of MATLAB and Simulink too, besides comprehending new technical aspects of the enhancement in efficiency of frequency/signal delivery between the electronic devices and new possible improvements or shortcomings in the communication technology industry.

Additionally, at the spring semesters of 2022 – 2023 and 2023 – 2024 academic, I have become a Learning assistance of a freshman mathematic course called MATH102 where I discuss concepts and explain example questions to the freshmen taking this math course weekly.

Nevertheless, I must add that the recent massive earthquakes that were experienced my country, Turkey, has affected everyone deeply so that countless applications related to the emergency situations occurring in an earthquake are being developed continuously. Thus, my university also started to develop a mobile app that will be activated during an occurring earthquake in the campus area, and as a result, again a PURE project titled “SeismicShield: Enhancing Earthquake Preparedness for Sabancı University” was started. By participating in this project, I will have more opportunities to get more experienced in mobile app developing, designing and programming since I am a part of the team that is responsible for both designing and programming some sections of the app. Thus, in this project that I’ve participated in, I could gain the opportunity to improve my skills in especially PHP programming languages.

On the other hand, I got the opportunity to improve myself in field of electronics when I became a member of Sabancı Motor Sports club in spring and fall semester of 2023 academic year. I was in the electronics department where we designed more than thirty different electrical circuits for the race car that will be submitted for the Formula Student race that will be organized in future years. Thanks to that I really acquired numerous practical experiences in circuit device designs.

• Member of Sabancı University Motor Sports Club Electronics Department
• Learning Assistance for mandatory mathematic class for the second semester of freshman year (MATH102) during the spring semester of 2022 – 2023 academic year
• Learning Assistance for mandatory mathematic class for the second semester of freshman year (MATH102) during the spring semester of 2023 – 2024 academic year