I am a third-year graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at Rice University. My research explores the changes in the organization of global commodity chains when the commodity itself is a living being. By taking up the acceleration of live cattle imports in Turkey throughout the 2010s, I investigate the sociotechnical arrangements in veterinary, economic, and bureaucratic fields that navigate liveliness as both a source of potential economic value and something to be managed throughout the exchange process.

Prior to my PhD work at Rice University, I earned a Master of Arts in Sociology from Bogazici University, Istanbul, with a thesis that focused on the care for the nonhuman as exemplified by Istanbul’s self-identified ‘volunteers for the stray animals.’ I received my BA in sociology, from the same university.

My research interests lie in the human- nonhuman animal relations, anthropology of capitalism, animal geographies, and global commodity chains. I engage with Science and Technology Studies, feminist and postcolonial theories across various disciplines.

My scholarly interests are closely tied to my ethical commitments; my enthusiasm for exploring different facades of human - nonhuman animal relations are interwoven with my interest in the possibilities of multispecies and ecological justice.
At Rice, I am involved in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality and Center for Critical and Cultural Theory certificate programs.