​In Loving Memory of Dr. Duygu Balcan


Dr. Duygu Balcan got her bachelor's degree in Physics Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 2001 as the valedictorian in her class. She finished her Master's studies in 2003 and earned her Ph.D. degree in 2007 under Prof. Dr. Ayşe Erzan, a prominent woman scientist in her field. During this time, she also worked as a research assistant in the Physics Engineering department of Istanbul Technical University. Her first publication was published in Physica A with the title "Monte Carlo renormalization group for entanglement percolation" which is based on her bachelor's graduation project under the supervision of Ayşe Erzan. In her Ph.D. studies, she worked mainly on the applications of Statistical Physics to complex networks and dynamic processes from an interdisciplinary point of view. From 2007 until 2011, she worked as a researcher at the Center of Complex Networks and Systems Research of Indiana University in the group of Prof. Alessandro Vespignani. During 2011-2012, she continued her studies at the Lagrange Laboratory on Complex Systems of the Institute for Scientific Interchange (Turin, Italy) again with Prof. Alessandro Vespignani. After her Ph.D., she got interested in the mathematical models on epidemiology. Her 2009 paper 'Multiscale mobility networks and the spatial spreading of infectious diseases' [D. Balcan, V. Colizza, B. Goncalves,A Vespignani et al, PNAS 106 21484 2009] has received over 1000 citations to this date. In 2013, she returned to the Physics Department of Istanbul Technical University, where her academic career began, and worked as a guest lecturer for the graduate program. Dr. Duygu Balcan passed away on August 14, 2013, due to a traffic accident. However, her name continues to live with an award given to successful Ph. D. students in the Physics Department of Istanbul Technical University. Moreover, she still contributes to science with her 21 publications cited thousands of times.

Now, we as the ITU Alumni Association USA have began the "Duygu Balcan Scholarship Fund" for the woman students of the ITU Dept. of Physics Engineering.
Please indicate your donation dedication while donating at web site:
​İTÜ Student Scholarship Program Website of the FIZIK HAFTASI - Physics Week events by her friends (in Turkish) https://fizikhaftasi.itu.edu.tr/ To follow FİZİ​K HAFTASI (Physics Week) on social media https://twitter.com/fizikhaftasi
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Prof. Alessandro Vespignani - Duygu Balcan Talk, Feb 20, 2021:

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Dr. Duygu Balcan's Talk on her H1N1 Work -​​​ Networks, Human Mobility and the Epidemic Diffusion, 2012


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