Aybuke Filiz

Aybuke Filiz is all about the journey.

A native of Turkey, Aybuke’s journey to Portland has meant teaching, research and exploring a raft of new encounters, including writing two papers for presentations in 2009. “I was amazed and honored to be invited to talk about my research,” she says.

Aybuke studied the Turkish elections of 2007 for her master’s thesis, examining how conservative and liberal newspapers covered elections and the involvement of the Turkish army.

She also landed one of the plum graduate teaching assignments in the department, and taught public speaking courses. When she first started, instructing the classes was overwhelming, especially for a non-native English speaker. Aybuke leapt gracefully over the hurdles and now is considering teaching as a career.

“One of the things about speaking a second language is that no matter how much you know you are still limited. It was really difficult the first term to get used to the context of speech in public speaking, now I’m really quite patient, I’d like to get a PhD because I love teaching.”

She also has a few kernels of wisdom to share with incoming graduate students. Aybuke advises new students to take advantage of the organic nature of the department. “Always be in touch with the professors,” she says.

Aybuke also reflects on how the cumulative efforts of the classes made her feel at home. Taking an intercultural class with Prof. Priya Kapoor ignited her passion for communication.

When she’s not teaching and writing, Aybuke explores Portland. “I like outdoor activities in Portland, it’s one of the attractions of the city. Hiking is my favorite activity, and I just went rafting for the first time.”

Story and photo by Melissa Shavlik