ATASC - San Diego Board of Directors

2004-05 Board of Directors

Arzu Kurkoğlu
Arzu works as a civil engineer for Willdan, an engineering/consulting company in San Diego. After graduating from Middle East Technical University, Civil Engineering Department with a Bachelor’s degree, she joined Yüksel Proje International. Then, Arzu moved to Berlin, where she earned her two Master’s degrees in “Highway Construction” and “Construction Engineering and Management” at the Berlin Technical University, Germany. In Berlin Arzu was involved in organizing activities that brought Turkish and German students together. In year 2001 she came to the United States for a research at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. After completing her research she worked for Arup, another engineering/consulting company in San Francisco. Living abroad during these years has taught Arzu the importance of a strongly united and mutually beneficial Turkish community. Arzu is very excited to become a member of the board for ATASC San Diego, and she sees great opportunity to enhance the San Diego Community’s awareness of Turkish culture.
 

Devrim Olga Turan
Devrim Olga Turan has an Economics degree from Gazi University in Ankara Turkey. Her concentration was International Economics. During her university education, she worked as an intern in Foreign Trade Undersecretariat of Turkish Republic in Standardization and Import Department in Ankara Turkey. She also worked as an intern in Toyota Import Department in Istanbul Turkey. After her graduation from university she decided to work in the export department of Pakpen Foreign Trade Inc. in Ankara Turkey. She was responsible for exporting PVC window and door systems and vinyl sidings to Northern Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe countries. She attended construction exhibitions in those countries as a company representative. After getting married, she moved to San Diego. She worked as an intern in San Diego World Trade Center to learn more about import-export rules and regulations in the United States. She is now studying MBA in Marketing in California State University San Bernardino.
 

Erhan Ercan
Erhan has received his bachelor degree in International Business from Lyon College in Arkansas in 2000, after his arrival into the US in 1996. He has been living in San Diego since his graduation from college, having worked for Ellipsis Digital Systems between 2000 and 2003. He is currently employed as the director of product management at Ostendo Technologies in Carlsbad, and will be receiving his MBA degree in the spring of 2006. Erhan has been actively involved in community activities during his college years, having served as the president of the international student association at his school as well as other activities amongst the Turks living in Arkansas. Erhan has also been a rug merchant from the early age of 12, which he continues to be as a hobby and a part-time job.
 

Gokhan Gulec

Gokhan has a Msc degree in Computer Sciences and Telecoms from University of Rennes in France. After graduation, he has worked for 2 years for Motorola in the UK and Denmark as a research engineer. He then moved to Nokia in Denmark as a senior design engineer, where he was promoted to be a project manager. He is currently working for Nokia in the R&D Labs in San Diego as a software project lead.

Mehmet Ömerbeyoğlu
Mehmet has a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Sakarya University.  He has worked for two years in Istanbul. Mehmet recently completed his MBA degree from Alliant International University. He formed his business last year in retail business industry and he is now planning to move into the Construction Industry.
 

Özlem Erol
Özlem Erol has a Business Administration degree from Bosphorus University in Istanbul.  She has worked for IBM for 11 years and moved to San Diego 5 years ago with her family.  She worked for a local company as a Project Manager for more than 2 years.  Özlem has her small business formed in 2003.  She has a website where she publishes her articles that she writes. She loves to read books, learn new subjects, and travel.  She is currently enrolled at UCSD Business Management Program.  She is married for 15 years and has a 9-year-old son.
 

Tuğrul Şengül
Tuğrul is a marketing and sales professional with international experience and he has been working for a telecom company in San Diego since 2001. Before moving to the US he lived in Sweden and Austria. He is one of the founding members of the Swedish-Turkish Academicians Association in Stockholm, Sweden.  During his college education Tuğrul was an active member with Student Clubs at Middle East Technical University in Ankara where he earned his bachelors’ degree. Tuğrul’s vision is to bring the Turkish-Americans together as a close community in and around San Diego. Tuğrul sees enhanced communication and broad contribution as key success factors for a stronger, more visible community.