I was born in Giresun, Turkey, and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. I graduated from Kabatas Erkek Lisesi in 1983, and then, from Bogaziçi University in 1988 with B. Sc. in Computer Engineering and in Physics. I did my graduate studies at the Physics Department of Rutgers University and received my Ph.D. in 1995. I live in New York City, NY. In the past I worked at the following places in chronological order: MINT Research Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, Chemistry Department of Duke University, Durham, NC, AT&T, Middletown, NJ, and IBM Systems and Technology Group, Poughkeepsie, NY.