Political science PhD student receives inaugural Stephen G. Walker fellowship

May 18, 2020

Cagla Demirduzen was awarded the inaugural Stephen G. Walker Graduate Support Fellowship from the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University for the 2019-20 academic year.

The fund for this award was established by former School of Politics and Global Studies students in honor of Emeritus Professor Stephen Walker, who was a faculty member in the Department of Political Science from 1969 until his retirement in 2003. It is intended to support students studying international relations and foreign policy in particular. Cagla Demirduzen Download Full Image

“It’s wonderful to learn that Ms. Demirduzen is the inaugural recipient of the Graduate Support Fellowship Award,” Walker said. “Her record of scholarship as a graduate student clearly qualifies her for the financial assistance that the award will provide, as she pursues her research interests in role theory and foreign policy.”

Demirduzen is an ASU political science PhD student and Fulbright scholar. She holds degrees in international relations from Bilkent University and Middle East Technical University.

Her current research focuses on the public perceptions about foreign policy roles in Turkey.

“This funding will help me a lot to complete this article especially during the summer period where I was not able to return back to my country due to recent circumstances,” Demirduzen said. “Appreciation of my work has also created an immense motivation to me for my future studies.”

Demirduzen shared with ASU Now more about her recent research and the impact of the Stephen G. Walker Graduate Support Fellowship:

Question: What is the current research project you are working on?

Answer: Our article aims to develop a framework to understand how political regimes influence horizontal and vertical role contestation in Turkey. Conducting a content analysis of the main party leaders (AKP, CHP, MHP, IYI, HDP), we map each party's foreign policy role conceptualizations about Turkey’s foreign relations and test horizontal role contestation hypothesis.

We methodologically provide the first empirical analysis of the public opinion about foreign policy roles conducted in the context of the original three-years-long public opinion survey study. Then, utilizing this nationwide survey finding, we evaluate public perceptions of the same foreign policy roles vis a vis Turkey's international relations. By comparing findings from the party elites and the public, we test the vertical role contestation hypothesis in Turkey.

These findings will fill a gap in the literature about the relationship between political regimes and vertical and horizontal role contestations and provide a novel framework for future research. Studies analyzing vertical contestation remain limited due to the lack of data on public level acceptance of foreign policy roles; therefore, this article will contribute to a rare systematic study of public role perceptions.

Q: What does it mean to you to be chosen for this award?

A: I am deeply honored to receive this award, especially an honor that it is carrying the name of one of our most recognized and respectable scholars in this field. To be recognized by the people that I was inspired by in the first place to study foreign policy analysis is very special. Hence, it means a lot for me.

I am especially thankful and indebted for the donors who made this funding possible and for their immeasurable support. They will always be a role model for me throughout my journey in this field. I would also specifically like to thank my adviser for his great mentorship and invaluable input to my intellectual development in foreign policy analysis as well.

Matt Oxford

Assistant Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, College of Global Futures

480-727-9901 moxford@asu.edu

Fulton Schools outstanding grad plugs into engineering and helping others in a big way

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2020 graduates.Brielle Januszewski says that she never understood what an engineer was or what an engineer could do, so she never considered engineering as a possibility for her. When she applied to colleges, she decided to major in sustainability.“After some research, I realized that the type of work I want to do is b...

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Fulton Schools outstanding grad plugs into engineering and helping others in a big way

May 18, 2020

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2020 graduates.

Brielle Januszewski says that she never understood what an engineer was or what an engineer could do, so she never considered engineering as a possibility for her. When she applied to colleges, she decided to major in sustainability. Brielle Januszewski is a triple major and Barrett, The Honors College, student graduating with degrees in environmental engineering, biological sciences (conservation biology and ecology) and political science along with a minor in French and a certificate in international studies. Download Full Image

“After some research, I realized that the type of work I want to do is better suited to an engineering degree, so I switched my major,” says Januszewski, whose hometown is Phoenix. “Now that I am in an engineering program, I know that it is the perfect major for me and I do not want to do anything else.”

She was a member of Fulton Ambassadors for three and a half years, during which she volunteered to teach high school students about ASU engineering through campus tours, special events and shadow days.

“As a Fulton ambassador, I could reach out to younger students and inform them of the opportunities and benefits of engineering that I was never aware of,” says Januszewski. “I wanted to impact the lives of all the students who came to ambassador events and let them know that the Fulton Schools can help them on their path towards a successful and meaningful degree.”

In terms of work with peers, Januszewski managed an ASU team of more than 20 civil engineering students to design and construct a lightweight concrete canoe to compete against 17 regional schools in the Regional Pacific Southwest Conference of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

“The concrete canoe was the most memorable project I worked on,” she says. “It was a yearlong effort on which I worked for 20-40 hours a week with my best friends. It was great because it was challenging, but once we were able to compete it was so rewarding to see all of my hard work — something that was fun, competitive and truly impressive.”

Januszewski is a triple major and Barrett, The Honors College, student graduating with degrees in environmental engineering, biological sciences (conservation biology and ecology) and political science along with a minor in French and a certificate in international studies.

In addition to her roles with Fulton Ambassadors and ASCE, she was the external affairs officer of Tau Beta Pi, she led an Engineering Projects in Community Service program project, she participated in two semesters of the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative, was in the Grand Challenges Scholar Program and served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for five semesters. She also is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Chi Epsilon and SSEBE Ambassadors, and she received NASA Space Grant research funding.

She was selected as the Outstanding Graduate in the civil engineering program and was named ASU's Outstanding Graduate from the Fulton Schools. Januszewski also is a recipient of the IMPACT Award from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering for her leadership, volunteer and service roles that have positively impacted the community.

Januszewski, who is also a recipient of a 2020 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program award, encourages women to have the confidence in their own abilities to chase the opportunities represented by an engineering degree.

“Women generate ideas that are just as innovative and valuable as anyone’s,” says Januszewski. “So, being a woman in engineering is important because it benefits everyone when we can apply our skills and pursue our interests.”