TASSA 2026 Conference Program
Schedule at a Glance
The conference in one picture. Click to enlarge the Schedule at a Glance, then use the contents list below to jump to any session in the full program.
Download the full TASSA 2026 Program Book (PDF, includes speaker biographies and the sponsor pages). [Program subject to change; the web version is the most current]
Program Contents
Click any session to jump to its details.
- 8:30 amWelcome and Opening Remarks
- 9:00 amOpening Keynote: Aziz Sancar
- 9:30 amFireside Chat with Gwen & Aziz Sancar
- 10:30 amPanel 1: Reverse Brain Drain and the Türkiye-U.S. Innovation Bridge
- 12:00 pmLightning Talks I
- 1:30 pmPoster Session
- 2:00 pmPanel 2: The Future of AI
- 4:00 pmPanel 3: Embodied Intelligence: Robotics and AI
- 5:30 pmRemembering Aşık Veysel
- 6:00 pmJob Fair: Talent and Career Hub
- 7:30 pmReception and Dinner
- 8:30 amTASSA Business Session
- 8:30 amWorkshop: Entrepreneurship for Academics
- 9:30 amFeatured Keynote: Kenan Şahin
- 10:30 amPanel 4: Technology Translation: From Lab to Market
- 11:30 amLightning Talks II
- 1:00 pmPoster Session
- 1:30 pmPanel 5: Science, Philanthropy, and Society
- 3:00 pmPanel 6: Navigating Immigration for Scientists and Scholars
- 4:00 pmLightning Talks III
- 4:30 pmYoung Scholars Awards and Presentations
- 5:30 pmClosing Remarks and Thanks
- Lightning Talks I, II, and III: speakers and talk titles
- Poster Presentations: Saturday, October 3
- Poster Presentations: Sunday, October 4
Tentative Detailed Program
Arrival and Welcome Afternoon
Registration desk opens at 3:00 pm.
Friday afternoon is set aside for optional tours of UNC Chapel Hill research facilities and the surrounding campus. Lab tours and the guided campus tour have limited capacity and require advance sign-up by email; center and self-guided visits are open to all attendees.
Guided Tours (limited seats, sign-up required)
To reserve a seat, email the contact listed for that specific tour. Each tour is handled separately, so please send a separate email for each tour you’d like to join. Seats are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Tour of the Aziz Sancar Lab
Visit the laboratory of Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar at the UNC School of Medicine. Limited seats; advance sign-up required.
Learn more | Sign up -
Tour of the Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC)
A guided walk through UNC’s Biomedical Research Imaging Center, home to advanced human and preclinical imaging facilities. Limited seats; advance sign-up required.
Learn more | Sign up -
Tour of the Ayşenil Belger Lab
Visit the lab of Dr. Ayşenil Belger at the UNC Department of Psychiatry, focused on neuroimaging and clinical neuroscience. Limited seats; advance sign-up required.
Learn more | Sign up -
UNC Campus Guided Tour with a Turkish Student
Walk the historic Carolina campus with a current Turkish student as your guide. Limited seats; advance sign-up required. Meeting time and location will be shared with registered participants.
Learn more | Sign up
Open Visits (no sign-up needed)
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Sancar Turkish Cultural and Community Center
Explore the conference venue, founded by Aziz and Gwen Sancar, at your own pace. Open throughout the afternoon; drop in any time.
Learn more -
UNC Campus Self-Guided Tour
Explore the campus on your own using UNC’s visitor resources and self-guided routes.
UNC Visitor Center
Breakfast and Registration
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Hasan Ayaz & Canan Dağdeviren, Conference Co-Chairs
- Ercan Alp, TASSA President
- H.E. Sedat Önal, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the United States
Opening Keynote
Science Without Borders: Discovery, Persistence, and Global Responsibility
- Aziz Sancar, Nobel Laureate and Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Fireside Chat with Gwen & Aziz Sancar: Science and Society
- Gwen Sancar, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Aziz Sancar, Nobel Laureate and Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In conversation with
- Canan Dağdeviren, Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Hasan Ayaz, Professor, Drexel University
Conversation themes
- How curiosity-driven discovery shapes medicine and society
- Advice for the next generation of scientists and leaders
Coffee Break and Poster Session
Turkish tea, coffee, refreshments, with conversation among the posters. Posters are on display throughout the conference; presenters will be at their posters during the dedicated poster sessions on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Panel 1: Reverse Brain Drain, Diaspora Impact, and the Türkiye-U.S. Innovation Bridge
University presidents and leaders from Türkiye join the Turkish-American community to discuss how talent, ideas, and investment can flow in both directions, and what it takes to turn individual success stories abroad into lasting institutional partnerships.
Focus
- Building sustainable collaborations between the U.S. and Türkiye
- Incentives for return or dual engagement
- Case studies of successful cross-border labs and startups
- Policy, education, and research partnerships
- Joint funding mechanisms and institutional collaboration models
Moderator
- Süleyman Gökoğlu, Past President, TASSA; Retired Senior Scientist, NASA Glenn Research Center
Speakers
- Ahmet Yozgatligil, President and Professor, Middle East Technical University
- Barış Tan, President and Professor, Özyeğin University
- Hasan Mandal, President and Professor, Istanbul Technical University
- Metin Sitti, President and Professor, Koç University
- Sondan Durukanoğlu Feyiz, Professor and Past President, Kadir Has University; Vice President, European Women Rectors Association
Lightning Talks I
Rapid-fire presentations by poster presenters selected from the submitted abstracts. Each speaker briefly shares the essence of their work, from a single result to a new institutional initiative, and the full posters can be seen at the poster sessions.
Session Chair
- İlhan Aksay, Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, Princeton University
Speakers
Ali Cinar, Uzay Emir, Leyla Topçu Sarıca, Alp Sungu, Nesime Tatbul (talk titles)
Lunch
Poster Session
Poster presentations from across the TASSA community: students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and professionals from academia, industry, and government, presenting research, projects, and programs at every stage. The session also features institutional posters from universities, research centers, companies, and organizations in the U.S. and Türkiye showcasing their programs, partnerships, and opportunities.
Panel 2: The Future of AI: From Foundation Models to Impact in Industry, Science, and Medicine
Leading researchers and technology executives examine where artificial intelligence is heading, from the large models reshaping industry to the tools transforming scientific discovery and medical care, and what these changes mean for researchers, companies, and society.
Focus: the "mind" of AI (models, algorithms, deployment)
Moderator
- Haluk Ünal, Past President, TASSA; Professor of Finance, University of Maryland
Speakers
- Asuman Özdağlar, MathWorks Professor and Head, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Aydoğan Özcan, Chancellor’s Professor and HHMI Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
- Ece Kamar, Chief Technology Officer, Turing; formerly Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, AI Frontiers Lab, Microsoft Research
Tea Break and Networking
Turkish tea, coffee, refreshments. An open half hour to continue the conversation with speakers and fellow attendees.
Panel 3: Embodied Intelligence: Robotics and AI in the Physical World
This panel moves from software to the physical world, exploring how robots, sensors, and insights from neuroscience are giving AI a body, and how these systems are entering factories, hospitals, homes, and the human body itself.
Focus: the "body" of AI (robots, sensors and neuroscience)
Moderator
- Candan Tamerler, Past President, TASSA; Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, and Charles E. & Mary Jane Spahr Professor, University of Kansas
Speakers
- Taşkın Padır, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University; Amazon Scholar, Amazon.com Inc.
- Metin Sitti, Professor, School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University
- Murat Yıldırım, Assistant Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute
Remembering Aşık Veysel
A cultural tribute to Aşık Veysel, the great folk poet of Sivas, whose songs and verse carry the voice of Anatolia.
Introduced by
- Canan Dağdeviren, Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Ercan Alp, Argonne Distinguished Fellow & Senior Physicist, Argonne National Laboratory
Speaker
- Çiğdem Özer, Granddaughter of Aşık Veysel, President of Aşık Veysel Foundation
Job Fair: Talent and Career Hub
Universities, companies, and startups from the U.S. and Türkiye meet students and researchers seeking positions, internships, and collaborations.
Reception and Dinner
Opening the Evening
Inspiring the Next Generation: Young Guru Academy’s Science and Technology Education Movement in Türkiye
How YGA is bringing science and technology education to two million children across Türkiye, and how the Turkish-American community can take part.
Moderator
- Ayşenil Belger, Professor and Director of Neuroimaging Research in Psychiatry, and Director of Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Speaker
- Ege Gedikli, Young Guru Academy (YGA)
The program continues below with Sunday, October 4, the Lightning Talks and Poster lists, and Practical Information.
Breakfast and Registration
Parallel Sessions
TASSA Business Session
Annual general meeting of the association. Reports from the TASSA President and Board, followed by elections and open discussion of priorities for the coming year.
- Ercan Alp, TASSA President; Argonne Distinguished Fellow and Senior Physicist, Argonne National Laboratory
Workshop: Entrepreneurship for Academics: Turning Research into Ventures
A hands-on session for faculty, postdocs, and students on moving ideas out of the lab: founding a company, working with investors, governance and risk, and the mindset shift from researcher to founder.
- Deniz Tudor, Senior Executive in Banking and Financial Technology; Advisor on Risk, Governance, and Innovation
Featured Keynote
From Inception to Exit: Lessons from Kenan Systems, TIAX, and CAMX Power
Drawing on his guidebook for startups, Lean Startup to Lean Company to Rich Exit, Kenan Şahin shares lessons from founding Kenan Systems and building TIAX and CAMX Power, from the Arthur D. Little legacy to a cathode technology now licensed across the lithium-ion battery industry. The keynote closes with the presentation of the Kenan Şahin Award, and signed copies of his books will be available during the coffee break.
- Kenan Şahin, Founder and President, Kenan Systems, TIAX LLC, and CAMX Power
Coffee Break and Poster Session
Turkish tea, coffee, refreshments, with conversation among the posters. Posters are on display throughout the conference; presenters will be at their posters during the dedicated poster sessions on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Panel 4: Technology Translation: From Lab to Market
Founders and academic leaders who have built companies out of university research share how discoveries become products, what the startup ecosystems of the U.S. and Türkiye offer, and how researchers, investors, and institutions can work together to bring science to market.
Focus
- Commercializing academic research
- Startup ecosystems in the U.S. and Türkiye
- Venture capital versus public funding
Moderator
- Can Erbil, Professor, Department of Economics, Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, Boston College
Speakers
- Eren Bali, Co-Founder and CEO, Monogram; Founder and former CEO, Udemy
- Melik Demirel, Endowed Chair Professor of Engineering and Director, Center for Research on Advanced Fiber Technologies, Penn State University; Co-Founder, Tandem Repeat Technologies, Inc.
- Cengizhan Öztürk, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Boğaziçi University; Co-Founder and Board Member, Boğaziçi University Center for Life Sciences and Technologies (LifeSci), Boğaziçi University Center for Targeted Therapy Technologies (CT3), and Istanbul Health Industry Cluster (ISEK)
Lightning Talks II
Rapid-fire presentations by poster presenters selected from the submitted abstracts. Each speaker briefly shares the essence of their work, from a single result to a new institutional initiative, and the full posters can be seen at the poster sessions.
Session Chair
- Uzay Emir, Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Speakers
Tolga Ozmen, Mustafa Aksoy, Alper Bozkurt, Deniz Ozenbas, Yasemin K. Akyel (talk titles)
Lunch
Poster Session
Poster presentations from across the TASSA community: students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and professionals from academia, industry, and government, presenting research, projects, and programs at every stage. The session also features institutional posters from universities, research centers, companies, and organizations in the U.S. and Türkiye showcasing their programs, partnerships, and opportunities.
Panel 5: Science, Philanthropy, and Society: Mobilizing the Turkish-American Diaspora for Impact
Leaders in global health and diaspora philanthropy discuss how giving, mentorship, and institutional partnerships can strengthen science, education, and health in Türkiye and the U.S., and how the Turkish-American community can move from responding to crises toward building lasting impact.
Focus
- Philanthropy as a catalyst for science, education, medicine, and social impact
- Diaspora engagement and Turkish-American giving models
- Supporting young scholars, fellowships, exchanges, and institutional partnerships
- Aligning nonprofit, university, industry, and community priorities
- From emergency response to sustainable long-term impact
Moderator
- Şenay Ataselim Yılmaz, Executive Director, Turkish Philanthropy Funds
Speakers
- Rıfat Atun, Dean of Education and Innovation, Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership and Professor of Global Health Systems, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Director, Health Systems Innovation Lab, Harvard University
- Ayşenil Belger, Professor and Director of Neuroimaging Research in Psychiatry, and Director of Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Halil Özbelli, President, Premier Yarns and member of TPF’s Founders Society
Tea Break and Networking
Turkish tea, coffee, and refreshments. An open half hour to continue the conversation with speakers and fellow attendees.
Panel 6: Navigating Immigration for Scientists and Scholars: Visas, Permits, and Pathways in the U.S. and Türkiye
A practical session on the immigration landscape for researchers: F-1 and OPT, J-1 and the two-year home-residency requirement, H-1B and cap-exempt positions, O-1 and EB-1/EB-2 NIW pathways for researchers, and current policy changes. The Türkiye side covers options for Turkish-Americans and returning scholars, including dual citizenship. Followed by open Q&A.
Moderator
- Günay Evinch (Övünç), Principal, Saltzman & Evinch, PLLC; Former President ATAA, Former Chair TASC
Speakers
- Ayhan Ogmen, Attorney at Law, Ogmen Law Firm PLLC
- Emine Şahin Karakaşlıoğlu, Attorney at Law, Karakaslioglu Law Firm PLLC
Lightning Talks III
Rapid-fire presentations by poster presenters selected from the submitted abstracts. Each speaker briefly shares the essence of their work, from a single result to a new institutional initiative, and the full posters can be seen at the poster sessions.
Session Chair
- Nihat Çubukçu, Assistant Vice President and Senior Scientist, RenaissanceRe
Speakers
Gözde Şenel-Ayaz, Idil Baran, Didem Egemen, Mert Deniz Polat, Tuğçe Kınık Yurdal (talk titles)
Young Scholars Awards and Presentations
Recognition of the TASSA Young Scholar Award recipients, followed by short presentations of their research.
Moderators
- Hasan Ayaz, Professor, Drexel University
- Canan Dağdeviren, Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Closing Remarks and Thanks
- Hasan Ayaz & Canan Dağdeviren, Conference Co-Chairs
- Ercan Alp, TASSA President
Adjourn
The program continues below with the Lightning Talks and Poster lists, and Practical Information.
Rapid-fire presentations selected from the submitted abstracts. Each speaker has a few minutes to share the essence of their work; the full posters are on display at the poster sessions.
Lightning Talks I
Session Chair
- İlhan Aksay, Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, Princeton University
Speakers and Talks
- 1.Ali CinarIllinois Institute of TechnologyMultivariable Artificial Pancreas for Fully-Automated Insulin Delivery in Diabetes
- 2.Uzay EmirUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillBeyond BOLD: Emerging Neuroimaging of Brain Function, Metabolism, and Molecular Processes
- 3.Leyla Topçu SarıcaBrigham and Women's HospitalPostoperative Delirium Risk in Women in the United States: A Machine Learning Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample
- 4.Alp SunguThe Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaWhen Does Generative AI Help or Harm Learning? Evidence from Three Randomized Experiments in Türkiye and the United States
- 5.Nesime TatbulIntel and Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyBuilding Bridges in AI-Driven Data Systems Research and Education
Lightning Talks II
Session Chair
- Uzay Emir, Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Speakers and Talks
- 1.Tolga OzmenMass General BrighamAI-FLEET: Phase II Multimodal Deep Learning for Fibroepithelial Breast Lesion Classification
- 2.Mustafa AksoyUniversity at Albany, State University of New YorkPassive Microwave Remote Sensing for Lunar Exploration: Opportunities for U.S.-Türkiye Collaboration in Space Technologies
- 3.Alper BozkurtNorth Carolina State UniversityFrom Wearable Sensors to the Internet of Bionic Things: Connected Sensing Across Humans, Animals, and the Environment
- 4.Deniz OzenbasMontclair State UniversityPrice Discovery Noise: How Loud Is It?
- 5.Yasemin K. AkyelUniversity of North Carolina School of MedicineRepurposing the DNA Labeling Agent EdU for Glioblastoma Therapy
Lightning Talks III
Session Chair
- Nihat Çubukçu, Assistant Vice President and Senior Scientist, RenaissanceRe
Speakers and Talks
- 1.Gözde Şenel-AyazTandem Repeat Technologies, Inc.Procell: Vegan Wool made from Fermentation
- 2.Idil BaranUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillRSA and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescence: Implications for AI-Based Assessment
- 3.Didem EgemenNational Cancer InstituteAI-Assisted Visual Evaluation Test for Cervical Screening
- 4.Mert Deniz PolatDrexel UniversityDiffuse Optical Neuroimaging for Non-Invasive Assessment of Cerebral Hemodynamics: Translational Case Studies
- 5.Tuğçe Kınık YurdalTemple UniversityExplainable Machine Learning for Predicting Functional Limitations Among U.S. Adult Cancer Survivors Using National Health Interview Survey Data
Posters from students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, professionals, and institutions in the U.S. and Türkiye, presented in two groups. Saturday posters go up Saturday morning before 10:00 am and come down at the end of the day; Sunday posters go up Sunday morning before 10:00 am. Presenters will be at their posters during the poster session of their day. Numbers are abstract numbers and correspond to poster board numbers.
Poster Session, 1:30 - 2:00 pm
Saturday Posters (24 posters)
- 4Duygu YazıcıUniversity of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Pediatrics, Allergy & Immunology (Rochester, NY, USA)Common food emulsifiers impair epithelial barrier integrity and trigger pro-inflammatory responses
- 6Sezgin KirenWinston Salem State University (Winston Salem, NC, USA)Efficient Solution-Phase Synthesis of the DNA Fluoropyrimidine Polymer CF10 using MPEG5000
- 18Defne CirciDuke University (Durham, NC, USA)Challenges and Vision for Standardization of Biopolymer Data Sets for Machine Learning
- 23Arda MertDepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine (Durham, NC, USA)When Is Zero-Shot Enough? Fine-Tuning Language Models for Temporal Risk Prediction from Clinical Notes
- 25Arda MertDuke University (Durham, NC, USA)Learning Shared Neural-Behavioral Representations with Recognition-Parameterized Latent Dynamics
- 27Ibrahim A. TursunDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA)The Complexity Paradox: Decomposing the Effects of Landscape Diversity and Fragmentation on Agricultural Downside Risk
- 28Elif GursoyEskisehir Osmangazi University (Eskisehir, Türkiye)Cultivating Next-Generation Nurse Leaders: A Model for Establishing Student Nursing Leadership Commissions in Universities
- 29İnci AydinLampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)Engineering Saccharomyces boulardii to Secrete Mucosal Healing Factors for Therapeutic Application in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- 31Burcu ErcanDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Davis (Davis, CA, USA)Thermal Oxidation of InxAl1-xN Barrier Layers for High-Performance Enhancement-Mode GaN MOS-HEMTs
- 32Deniz BekenDrexel University (Philadelphia, PA, USA)ESP32 Based Microtonal Tuning Device
- 37Altona TufanogluCenter for Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA, USA)Hedonic Capacity is Associated with Demand-Dependent Prefrontal Responses During Sustained Attention in Opioid Use Disorder
- 38Ayşenil BelgerDepartment of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)Machine Learning Detects Subcortical Brain Asymmetry Associated with Psychotic-Like Experiences in the ABCD Study
- 39Tarik BaysalUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)SPECTRA: A Synchronized Multimodal Platform Toward AI-Driven Biofeedback
- 40Ayşenil BelgerDepartment of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)Nexus Lab at Ozyegin University: Building a Neurotechnology and Cognitive Systems Laboratory to Study Human Brain-Behavior Interface
- 41Mert Deniz PolatSchool of Biomedical Engineering and Science, Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA, USA)Diffuse Optical Neuroimaging for Non-Invasive Assessment of Cerebral Hemodynamics: Translational Case Studies
- 43Boran DumanDrexel University (Philadelphia, PA, USA)Development and Preliminary MRI Evaluation of Accessible Brain Phantom Formulations
- 44Sinan CandanDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI, USA)Liquid Metal-Filled Stretchable Sensors Inform In-Situ Rate-Dependent Micromechanics of Soft Materials
- 47Fahrettin AyDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX, USA)Ghost Residuals in Physics-Informed Neural Networks and Their Suppression via Volatility-Adjusted Residual Sampling
- 49Mehmet YıldırımDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX, USA)Physics-Level Security for Critical Infrastructure: Breaking Smart-Grid Dynamic Watermarking and Bounding Machine-Learning Attacks on the KLJN Secure Key Exchanger
- 50Nur Ceren SelçukBioengineering Program, University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS, USA)Machine Learning-Informed Engineering of Multifunctional Suture-Binding Peptides for Antimicrobial Biomaterial Interfaces
- 52Merve UsluiOrganBio (Durham, NC, USA)iORGANBIO Creates a Novel Framework for Adaptive Stem-Cell Manufacturing
- 54Dilay OzkanStatistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)UNC Emergency Department Operations Research Group
- 55Gülnaz KaraosmanoğluOSTİM Foundation (Ankara, Türkiye)OSTİM Üretim Ekosistemi: Türkiye'nin Sanayi Gücünden Yapay Zeka Çağına Köprüler
- 56Cengizhan ÖztürkBoğaziçi University (Istanbul, Türkiye)Boğaziçi CT³: Your Gateway to Translational Biotech Research and MedTech Development in Türkiye
Poster Session, 1:00 - 1:30 pm
Sunday Posters (25 posters)
Includes the lightning talk speakers and the Young Scholar Award recipients.
- 1Metecan ErdiHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University (Allston, MA, USA)High Concentration Antibody Formulations Enabled via Thermostable Ionic Liquids
- 2Deniz OzenbasDepartment of Accounting and Finance, Feliciano School of Business, Montclair State University (Montclair, NJ, USA)Price Discovery Noise: How Loud Is It?
- 3Edib KeskinerOhio University (Athens, OH, USA)From Turkish Farms to Appalachian Jails: A Comparative Look at Rural Disadvantage and Systemic Neglect
- 5Mustafa AksoyDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University at Albany, State University of New York (Albany, NY, USA)Passive Microwave Remote Sensing for Lunar Exploration: Opportunities for U.S.-Türkiye Collaboration in Space Technologies
- 7Ali CinarChemical and Biological Engineering Department, Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, IL, USA)Multivariable Artificial Pancreas for Fully-Automated Insulin Delivery in Diabetes
- 12Nebile Korucu-GümüşoğluIstanbul Kultur University (Istanbul, Türkiye)Gender Map in Higher Education: Evidence from Istanbul Kultur University
- 13Nebile Korucu-GümüşoğluIstanbul Kultur University (Istanbul, Türkiye)Machine Learning-Based Analysis of Predictor Importance for Geopolitical Risk: Comparative Evidence from the United States and Türkiye
- 14Deniz EkinciAlamo College District, San Antonio College (San Antonio, TX, USA)Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Geospatial Technologies: Economic Implications and Emerging Industry Domains
- 15Mehtap EkinciIstanbul University Social Science Institute (Istanbul, Türkiye)AI-Driven Language Learning Technologies: Pedagogical Strengths, Limitations, and Emerging Evidence in English Acquisition
- 16Ahmet Berat EkinciRonald Reagan High School (San Antonio, TX, USA)The Transformation of Turkish High School Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Comparative Analysis of Turkey and the United States
- 17Burcu AdivarBroadwell College of Business and Economics, Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, NC, USA)From Innovation to Impact: A Transnational Talent Pipeline Powered by Corporate and Civic Partnerships in the AI Era
- 19Mustafa TureDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA)Solitonic Superfluorescence: Towards Understanding High-Temperature Quantum Coherence
- 20Alper BozkurtDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA)From Wearable Sensors to the Internet of Bionic Things: Connected Sensing Across Humans, Animals, and the Environment
- 21Tuğçe Kınık YurdalTemple University (Philadelphia, PA, USA)Explainable Machine Learning for Predicting Functional Limitations Among U.S. Adult Cancer Survivors Using National Health Interview Survey Data
- 22Yasemin K. AkyelDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)Repurposing the DNA Labeling Agent EdU for Glioblastoma Therapy
- 24Leyla Topçu SarıcaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA, USA)Postoperative Delirium Risk in Women in the United States: A Machine Learning Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample
- 26Gozde Senel-AyazTandem Repeat Technologies, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA, USA)Procell: Vegan Wool made from Fermentation
- 30Tolga OzmenDivision of Breast Surgery, Mass General Brigham (Boston, MA, USA)AI-FLEET: Phase II Multimodal Deep Learning for Fibroepithelial Breast Lesion Classification
- 33Uzay EmirBiomedical Research Imaging Center, Department of Radiology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)Beyond BOLD: Emerging Neuroimaging of Brain Function, Metabolism, and Molecular Processes
- 34Didem EgemenDivision of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (Rockville, MD, USA)AI-Assisted Visual Evaluation Test for Cervical Screening
- 35Alp SunguOperations, Information and Decisions Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA, USA)When Does Generative AI Help or Harm Learning? Evidence from Three Randomized Experiments in Türkiye and the United States
- 36Nesime TatbulIntel & MIT (Cambridge, MA, USA)Building Bridges in AI-Driven Data Systems Research and Education
- 42Idil BaranDepartment of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA)RSA and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescence: Implications for AI-Based Assessment
- 46Gulce Aktas(Philadelphia, PA, USA)Language Bridge: AI Powered Peer-to-Peer Language and Cultural Sharing and Academic Socializing Platform for Students
- 53Cevher DoganIndependent Researcher and Technologist (Philadelphia, PA, USA)ScholarFlow: A Working Beta for AI-Assisted, Human-Governed Scholarly Communication
Sancar Turkish Cultural and Community Center
1609 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
All sessions, meals, poster sessions, and the Saturday reception and dinner take place at the Center unless otherwise noted.
The nearest airport is Raleigh-Durham International (RDU), about 20 minutes from the venue by car. Rideshare and taxis are available at the airport. Free parking is available at the Center.
Registration includes admission to all sessions, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, coffee and tea breaks, and the Saturday reception and dinner. Register here. The registration desk is open Friday from 2:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 am. Please wear your name badge throughout the conference. More information: Registration page.
Abstract submission has closed. Accepted posters and the lightning talk speakers selected from the submitted abstracts are listed in the Lightning Talks and Poster Presentations sections above. Posters are presented in two groups, Saturday and Sunday; please check the poster list for your day. Posters in either portrait or landscape orientation are welcome as long as they fit on the board. Please bring your printed poster and set it up on the morning of your poster day before 10:00 am. Saturday posters should be taken down at the end of Saturday; Sunday posters remain on display through Sunday afternoon.
Universities, companies, and startups wishing to host a table at the Saturday Job Fair should contact conference@tassausa.org.
All meals are served on site. Please indicate dietary restrictions when you register or let the registration desk know on arrival.
Business casual for the conference sessions; business attire is suggested for the Saturday reception and dinner.
Share your photos and highlights with #TASSA2026 and follow TASSA on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. Conference updates and any schedule changes will be posted at www.tassausa.org.
Conference email: conference@tassausa.org
Early October in Chapel Hill is typically mild, with daytime highs around 75°F (24°C) and cooler evenings. A light jacket is recommended for the evening events.
All sessions and meals take place at the Sancar Turkish Cultural and Community Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Program subject to change; updates will be posted at www.tassausa.org.