Arzu Kurkoğlu - President

Arzu works as a civil engineer for DMJM Harris, a transportation design consultant firm in San Diego. After graduating from Middle East Technical University, Civil Engineering Department with a Bachelor’s degree, she joined Yüksel Proje International. Then, Arzu moved to Berlin, where she earned her two Master’s degrees in “Highway Construction” and “Construction Engineering and Management” at the Berlin Technical University, Germany. In Berlin Arzu was involved in organizing activities that brought Turkish and German students together. In year 2001 she came to the United States for a research at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. After completing her research she worked for Arup, an engineering/consulting company in San Francisco. In 2003 she moved to San Diego. Living abroad during these years has taught Arzu the importance of a strongly united and mutually beneficial Turkish community. Arzu has served as a member of the ATASC San Diego board since 2004 and is a founding member of House of Turkey project in Balboa Park, San Diego. She is willing to continue enhancing the San Diego Community’s awareness of Turkish culture.

Erhan Ercan - Vice President

Erhan has arrived in the U.S. in 1996. He has received his MBA degree from California State University, San Marcos in May 2006 and his bachelors degree in international business in 2000 from Lyon College in Arkansas.  He has worked as a product manager for a wireless semiconductor startup between 2000-2003, and is currently employed as the director of product marketing at Ostendo Technologies in Carlsbad.  Erhan has served as a member of the board for the last 3 years.  He is actively involved in organizing the networking events as well as supporting web site development and communication.  He served as the president of the international student association at Lyon College.  Erhan is originally from Konya and is married to Pinar.  He is an avid soccer fan and has been a rug merchant since he was 12.

Canan Serdar - Secretary/Treasurer

Canan Serdar graduated from University of Istanbul Chemical Engineering Department with a Bachelor’s degree in 1984.  After graduation she joined University of Marmara Chemisty Department as a TA 1984-1988. After the birth of her son she was stay at home mom for 3 years. In 1991 she founded/set up the Quality Control Lab of Kirlangic Gida Maddeleri TAS at Yarimca, Kocaeli region and worked as a Quality Control Manager until 1996. During this period of time she specialized in edible and olive oils. She was the founder/member of the Olive Oil Association in Turkey.  After moving to Los Angeles, California in 1996, she got into garment wholesaling business with her husband. Since then she has been actively involved with the imports/operations of her company. She recently moved to San Diego and joined the ATA SC. She is interested in serving on the Board of Directors because she believes Turkish Americans have to be recognized in our community.  She has been married for 22 years. She has two children, one 18 year old son, and one 14 year old daughter.

Cem Efe - Board Member

Born in what used to be Western Germany to a Turkish father and an American mother, Cem spent his childhood shuttling between Europe, Turkey, and the United States.  Upon graduating from the Sankt Georg Austrian High School in Istanbul in 1997, he relocated to central Iowa for his undergraduate education at Grinnell College.  Finally, he came to San Diego in 2001 to pursue a doctoral degree in molecular biology at the University of California.  He hopes to complete his studies at UCSD in 2007 and land his first job in San Diego.  In his scant spare time, he likes to ponder how graduate students manage to keep their sanity without any time off and he also likes to volunteer for ATASC-SD and play guitar.

Mujde Gursel - Board Member

Mujde Gursel received her BA degree in International Business with a specialization in Finance, emphasis in Western Europe, German and Spanish in 2005 from San Diego State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She studied Export Management for a year at Reutlingen University in Stuttgart, Germany where she won the 1st place for a business plan she developed. She also traveled through Costa Rica to explore Central America and study Spanish. She spent her last year in college interning as a Trade Specialist at the World Trade Center. She has been an active board member of ATASC-SD since November 2006. She has also been serving as a teacher aid at the Turkish School. For the last two years she has been working as a Financial Analyst for a securities brokerage firm in La Jolla.

Zahir Alpaslan - Board Member

After getting in to top 100 in the Turkish university entrance exams, Zahir came to the United States in 1995 with a scholarship given by the Turkish government.  He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1999, 2000 and 2005 respectively.  He worked as the Director of Technology at an advanced visualization company in Los Angeles area after graduation until he transferred to a start-up company in San Diego as Senior Display Systems Engineer in October 2006.

He has been an active member of Turkish community in Los Angeles and now in San Diego.  His Turkish Student Guide has been downloaded 20,194 times between July 2005 and February 2007. He is also a member of Group Anatolia, where he plays dumbek and participates in traditional Turkish Dancing shows.

2004-05 Past Board of Directors