Fatih Gunaydin

Why FSU?

Deciding on a university is not an easy task, especially for your PhD. You know that you will spend the next four or five years on that campus, city, and state, so you need to consider many factors, especially if you are moving there from a different country. During the application process, you also cannot be sure which university will accept you and so you apply to several universities. When you got multiple acceptances, it makes the decision process even harder. I had two main reasons for choosing FSU among other universities. The first is my major professor Dr. Stvilia's approach to my studies and his approach to his own studies. He has many prestigious publications on the topic I want to pursue in my PhD, and he was always nice and responsive to my questions even before I applied to the Information Program. The second reason is the reputation of FSU and the School of Information. My department has a high reputation in our field. FSU is also a highly prestigious state university in the US, and each year it increases its ranking among the best state universities. Considering all the pros and cons, I decided to come to FSU, and I have never regretted my decision.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

I think, in today's world, a graduate degree is almost a necessity if you want to improve yourself in a specific field. I started my master's with that feeling. However, deciding on a PhD required different motivations. I had some doubts about pursuing a PhD since it requires a lot of hard work. At that point, my major professor from my master's degree encouraged me to continue with a PhD. She helped me realize my skills and eagerness for research and teaching. I also always wanted to stay in academia because I feel that it can turn me into a more productive and useful person. As I mentioned in my quote, pursuing a graduate degree is important to me because I aim to be a life-long learner.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

My research is about big research data management infrastructure. The amount of data dramatically increases every year, and we know that if we can effectively use this data, it will reveal a lot of scientific discoveries. However, the management of this huge amount of data is a challenging process for scientists and for institutions. Some of the challenges include storage, preservation, curation, privacy, and analysis of data. In my research, I am working on an infrastructure design that will help research universities  mitigate these challenges and provide better data management services for their researchers.

Career aspirations

My career aspiration is to become a professor and continue to educate future students. I also hope to continue to be involved in the research of this field. I aim to be a life-long learner and to be a part of its expansion and development.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Graduate school means you are devoting four to six years of your life to a specific field. Probably the best ages of your life. It requires a lot of work and can sometimes be a headache. Therefore, the area or the topic you work on should be something you love. If you do not love the area you work in, you cannot keep your motivation high and you cannot be productive. Graduate education may sound intimidating, but do not let it stop you. When you start your degree, you do not understand how the years pass by. My last piece of advice would be to balance all the important roles in your life. Putting your research at the center of your life will give you a lot of stress. A little self-care goes a long way. Sometimes going out and doing fun activities will help you recharge and better focus on your studies.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I received the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award and the Study Abroad Program Award from The Republic of Turkiye Ministry of National Education.