Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil
{{short description|Turkish astrophysicist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil
| image = Dr.BurcinMP.jpg
| workplaces = Dartmouth College
University of Arizona
University of Chicago
| education = University of Minnesota (Ph.D.)
Texas Tech University (M. Sc.)
Bilkent University (B. Sc.)
| nationality = Turkish
| thesis_title = Testing supermassive black hole scaling relations using cosmological simulations and optical/near-IR imaging data
| thesis_url = https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017AAS...22910701M/abstract
| thesis_year = 2018
| doctoral_advisor = Marc Seigar
| website = https://www.burcinmutlupakdil.net/
}}
Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil is a Turkish-American astrophysicist, and Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College. She formerly served as a National Science Foundation (NSF) and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago. Her research led to a discovery of an extremely rare galaxy with a unique double-ringed elliptical structure, which is now commonly referred to as Burcin's Galaxy.{{Cite web |title=KICP People {{!}} Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil |url=https://kicp.uchicago.edu/people/profile/burcin_mutlu-pakdil.html |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=kicp.uchicago.edu}} She was also a 2018 TED Fellow, and a 2020 TED Senior Fellow.
Education
Mutlu-Pakdil grew up in Turkey, where she loved physics and the night sky.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/burcins-galaxy/Content?oid=14523190|title=Burçin's Galaxy|last=Gardner|first=Jeff|website=Tucson Weekly|language=en|access-date=2018-04-22}} She attended Beşiktaş Atatürk Anatolian High School and was the first generation of her family to attend college.{{Cite web|url=https://www.physics.umn.edu/people/mutlu.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312152730/https://www.physics.umn.edu/people/mutlu.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-03-12|title=Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil – Physics at Minnesota|date=2017-03-12|access-date=2018-04-22}} She completed her undergraduate studies in physics at Bilkent University in 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.burcinmutlupakdil.net/about-me|title=Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil {{!}} Astrophysicist|website=Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil {{!}} Astrophysicist|language=en|access-date=2018-04-22}} She moved to Texas Tech University for her graduate studies, gaining a master's degree in physics in 2012. In 2017 she earned her PhD in astrophysics with the dissertation Testing Supermassive Black Hole Scaling Relations Using Cosmological Simulations and Optical/Near-IR Imaging Data from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.{{Cite journal|last1=Burcin|first1=Mutlu Pakdil|last2=S.|first2=Seigar, Marc|last3=L.|first3=Davis, Benjamin|last4=M.|first4=Treuthardt, Patrick|last5=Joel|first5=Berrier|date=January 2017|title=Testing SMBH scaling relations using cosmological simulations and optical/near-IR imaging data|journal=American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #229|bibcode=2017AAS...22910701M|language=en|volume=229|pages=107.01}}
Research and career
In 2017, Mutlu-Pakdil was appointed a postdoctoral research associate at University of Arizona. She worked at the Steward Observatory looking at the structure and dynamics of astrophysical objects, including dwarf galaxies, galactic rings and supermassive black holes. She used telescopes in Chile and Hawaii.{{Cite news|url=http://tucson.com/thisistucson/tucsonlife/this-ua-astrophysicist-has-a-galaxy-named-after-her/article_fdd22e3a-02df-11e8-82c0-13b25ac97a9e.html|title=This UA astrophysicist has a galaxy named after her|last=Tucson|first=Johanna Willett {{!}} This Is|work=Arizona Daily Star|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en}} At UA, she co-chaired the Women in Astronomy group.{{Cite web|url=https://lavinia.as.arizona.edu/~twa/|title=Tucson Women in Astronomy – Home|website=lavinia.as.arizona.edu|access-date=2018-04-22}} She was an American Astronomical Society ambassador.{{Cite web|url=https://aas.org/outreach/aas-astronomy-ambassadors-program|title=The AAS Astronomy Ambassadors Program {{!}} American Astronomical Society|website=aas.org|language=en|access-date=2018-04-22}}
During her doctoral studies, Mutlu-Pakdil discovered the galaxy PGC 1000714, which has been nicknamed "Burçin's galaxy". It is an extremely rare double ringed elliptical galaxy, and her discovery generated extensive media coverage.{{Citation|last=Ant Lab|title=Burcin's Galaxy|date=2017-01-03|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5ds04xtRdY|accessdate=2018-04-22}}{{Cite journal|last1=Mutlu Pakdil|first1=Burçin|last2=Mangedarage|first2=Mithila|last3=Seigar|first3=Marc S.|last4=Treuthardt|first4=Patrick|date=2017-04-01|title=A photometric study of the peculiar and potentially double ringed, non-barred galaxy: PGC 1000714|url=https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/466/1/355/2617730/A-photometric-study-of-the-peculiar-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext|journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|language=en|volume=466|issue=1|pages=355–368|doi=10.1093/mnras/stw3107|doi-access=free |issn=0035-8711|arxiv=1701.03530|bibcode=2017MNRAS.466..355M|s2cid=119426507}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.5harfliler.com/roportaj-burcinin-galaksisi-fizik-aski-karadeliklere-zaafi-hazir/?doing_wp_cron=1502590694.5575199127197265625000?redirectedFrom=fulltext|title=Röportaj: Burçin'in Galaksisi, Fizik Aşkı, Karadeliklere Zaafı|date=2017-03-29|work=5Harfliler.com|access-date=2018-04-22}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/us/rare-hoag-galaxy-discovered/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312152730/http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/04/us/rare-hoag-galaxy-discovered/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-03-12|title=Ultra-rare galaxy could be 'one of a kind' – CNN.com|website=CNN |date=2017-03-12|access-date=2018-04-22}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.astronomy.com/news/2017/01/mysterious-galaxy-with-unknown-past#.WHVXvTYwJ8A.facebook|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312152730/http://www.astronomy.com/news/2017/01/mysterious-galaxy-with-unknown-past#.WHVXvTYwJ8A.facebook|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-03-12|title=Astronomers get their first look at a mysterious galaxy with an unknown past {{!}} Astronomy.com|date=2017-03-12|access-date=2018-04-22}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.fox21online.com/2017/01/10/umd-researches-find-new-type-galaxy/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312152730/http://www.fox21online.com/2017/01/10/umd-researches-find-new-type-galaxy/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-03-12|title=UMD Researches Find New Type of Galaxy – Fox21Online|date=2017-03-12|access-date=2018-04-22}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/education/4194569-umd-student-publishes-paper-about-out-world-discovery|title=UMD student publishes paper about out-of-this-world discovery|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/rare-galaxy-spotted-over-359-million-light-years-away-4458477/|title=Rare galaxy spotted over 359 million light-years away|date=2017-01-04|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/new-galaxy-pgc-1000714-science-news-museum-sciences-hoag-duluth-a7509751.html|title=Scientists spot galaxy unlike any ever seen before|date=2017-01-04|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en-GB}}
She worked with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to create a series of short scientific films for the general public. In January 2018, Mutlu-Pakdil was announced as a TED Fellow.{{Cite web|url=https://www.burcinmutlupakdil.net/|title=Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil {{!}} Astrophysicist|website=Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil {{!}} Astrophysicist|language=en|access-date=2018-04-22}} She gave a lecture{{Cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/talks/burcin_mutlu_pakdil_a_rare_galaxy_that_s_challenging_our_understanding_of_the_universe/|title=Her TED Talk|date=28 August 2018 }} at TED Vancouver in April, 2018. She is a campaigner for the increased representation of Muslim women in science.
In 2019, Mutlu-Pakdil was announced an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador and in 2020 she became a TED Senior Fellow.{{Cite web |title=Meet the 2020 class of TED Fellows and Senior Fellows {{!}} TED Blog |date=23 January 2020 |url=https://blog.ted.com/meet-the-2020-class-of-ted-fellows-and-senior-fellows/ |access-date=2022-03-31 |language=en-US}}
Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil is searching for the most peculiar objects in the Universe. In her own words, Mutlu-Pakdil uses "both large photometric surveys from ground-based and space telescopes in order to discover and characterize the smallest and faintest galaxies in the universe, and the role of dark matter in their formation."{{Cite web |title=Burcin Mutlu Pakdil {{!}} Bio |url=https://www.burcinmutlupakdil.net/about-me |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=bmutlupakdil |language=en}}
Awards and honours
- NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow{{Cite web |title=NSF Award Search: Award # 2001663 - Testing the Lambda Cold Dark Matter Model with Dwarf Galaxies around the Milky Way and beyond |url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2001663&HistoricalAwards=false |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=www.nsf.gov |language=en}}
- KICP Fellow{{Cite web |title=KICP People {{!}} KICP Members & Students |url=https://kicp.uchicago.edu/people/#kicp-fellows |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=kicp.uchicago.edu}}
- 2020 TED Senior Fellow{{Cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/participate/ted-fellows-program/meet-the-ted-fellows|title=Meet the TED Fellows|website=www.ted.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}
- 2019 AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador{{Cite web |title=125 Women in STEM Selected as AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors {{!}} American Association for the Advancement of Science |url=https://www.aaas.org/news/125-women-stem-selected-aaas-ifthen-ambassadors |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=www.aaas.org |language=en}}
- 2018 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World – Academic Leadership and Accomplishment {{Cite web|url=https://jci.cc/news/31865|title=Announcing the 2018 JCI TOYP Honorees}}
- 2018 TED Fellow
- 2017 Ten Outstanding Young Persons, Turkey – Scientific Leadership Award
- 2017 APS Woman Physicist of July{{Cite web|url=https://www.aps.org/programs/women/scholarships/month/|title=Woman Physicist of the Month|website=www.aps.org|language=en|access-date=2018-04-22}}
- 2017 Linda Larson Woman of the Year{{Cite news|url=https://news.d.umn.edu/news-center/news/2017-woman-year|title=Inspiration Times Three|last=lmelton|date=2017-04-18|work=News|access-date=2018-04-22|language=en}}
- 2016 Dr. Nancy "Rusty" Barceló Scholarship{{Cite web|url=https://diversity.umn.edu/women/barceloscholarship|title=Dr. Nancy "Rusty" Barceló Scholarship {{!}} Women's Center|website=diversity.umn.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129054501/https://diversity.umn.edu/women/barceloscholarship|archive-date=2018-11-29|url-status=dead}}
References
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Category:21st-century Turkish women scientists
Category:21st-century American astronomers
Category:Turkish emigrants to the United States
Category:Bilkent University alumni
Category:Texas Tech University alumni
Category:University of Arizona people
Category:University of Minnesota alumni