Meltem Yucel graduated from the University of Virginia in 2021 with a PhD. in Developmental Psychology and a concentration in Quantitative Psychology. She is also one of the recipients of the Graduate Academic Excellence Award from International Students and Scholars office.
Tell us about your journey to get to UVA.
Yucel: Eleven years ago, I almost did not graduate high school. A doctor misdiagnosed me with epilepsy and gave me too many, too strong, medications that made me sleep for weeks only to be woken up to be given more medication. When I was awake, I was not allowed to leave the house unsupervised in case I had a seizure. None of us could have imagined that I would be here today completing my Ph.D., 5,313 miles away from the room I once thought would be the extent of where I could go.
Thanks to a lot of wonderful people in my life we ultimately uncovered the misdiagnosis and I got into undergrad at Özyeğin University in Turkey with a renewed passion for science. Then I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Ayşe Bilge Selçuk who believed in me before I even believed in myself and helped me get to where I am now. She took me under her wings when I was just a first-year undergraduate student at a different university and provided me with countless opportunities.
She also gave me the best advice: to do my Ph.D. at the University of Virginia with Dr. Amrisha Vaish. In 2015, I graduated as a salutatorian, the first in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the first in the Psychology department. Right after, I started grad school!
How did you get interested in your field of study?
Yucel: Born as a little scientist, I always have found myself inquiring and pursuing my curiosity. As a child, I posed nonstop questions and, in school, I always wanted to learn more. Given my voracious appetite for knowledge, pursuing an academic career is ideal for me; I love the idea of teaching other curious minds while continuously researching and learning myself. For that reason, I initially struggled to pick an area of Psychology--it all seemed fun! Ultimately, I came to realize that I am most inspired by the question of how we become moral beings. Since then, I have been investigating how children and adults perceive rule violations, why they respond to rule violations, whether this changes with age, and how their interventions may serve evolutionary functions.
What are some of your most memorable experiences at UVA?
Yucel: During my time at UVA, I became a part of the International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (LIFE Academy) with several others from my department. This allowed us to participate in LIFE Academies at Berlin, Zurich, Michigan, and Charlottesville. Thanks to this partnership, I bonded with other LIFE fellows, met wonderful life span researchers from three countries, and learned about the interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human development.
What is the next step after UVA?
Yucel: Starting in Fall 2021, I will be a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. I will continue my research program on children's and adults' understanding of different moral rules and how they respond to these moral rule violations.
What is a piece of advice you would give to a new international student?
Yucel: I would say that they should take pride in both their acceptances and rejections. Getting rejected (from conferences, jobs, awards, grants) is normal and they should not feel discouraged. Without rejections, we cannot make the space for acceptances!
