I am a post-doctoral researcher at Dr. Diane Brentari's Sign Language Linguistics Laboratory at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Chicago. My research interests broadly include syntax-semantics of sign languages, focused on Turkish Sign Language (TİD), viewpoint aspect, modals, and the role of nonmanual markers. I am expanding my research to other sign languages during my post-doctoral research.
Currently, I am working on two-verb constructions in the project 'Two Verb Predicates in Sign Languages: Typological Variation and Emergence' funded by National Research Foundation (NSF). The project focuses on two-verb constructions across American Sign Language (ASL), Turkish Sign Language (TİD), Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL), and Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL). I am especially interested in how nonmanual markers interact with two-verb constructions, and the emergence of nonmanual markers. My dissertation project focused on the modal signs and the co-occurring nonmanual markers in TİD under Dr. Ronnie B. Wilbur's supervision. The final analysis showed that nonmanual markers affect the propositional meaning and the signer certainty separately from manual signs. I argued that nonmanual markers are distinct morphemes rather than being part of the lexical manual signs. I received my master's degree in Linguistics at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey. My master thesis was on the perfective markers BİT (finish) and mouth gesture 'bn' in TİD. While in Boğaziçi, I was involved in the research projects on TİD conducted by Sign Language Lab. I also received my BA from the Foreign Language Education Department at Boğaziçi University with an honors degree. Outside the academia, I enjoy spending time with my retriever-mix rescue dog, Oscar, going on hikes, learning biking in the city, and swimming. |