Dr. Ozgur Turetken
Dr. Ozgur Turetken (BSc, MBA, PhD) feels that the Associate Dean Research position as a separate portfolio in TRSM leadership has helped to change the research culture of the Ted Rogers School.
“Research allows you to not only learn, but also contribute to knowledge so others can learn as well. This is even more important today than when I took this position, since the importance of scientific knowledge is constantly questioned and challenged. The academic enterprise would be incomplete without a strong research component, and I am excited to continue leading the support for all things research at the Ted Rogers School.”
Turetken’s own research focuses on human-computer interaction and is done at the “intersection of how we process, organize and present information and how it influences people’s decisions.” He explores how text is organized, mined and visualized, focusing largely on new media. He was involved in some of the early research to define information overload and examines how user online content is utilized. Turetken conducts experiments with human subjects, not the most common approach in business schools. A recent study experimented with text mining of user-generated content in trying to understand the role of sentiments in electoral decisions. He plans to continue this stream of research, noting its practical applications.
“Content generators can learn which content gets the most positive reaction and develop it in a more intelligent way. The applications are limitless: traditional marketing, political campaigns, university governance…”
Turetken studied electrical engineering as an undergraduate in his native Turkey and earned his MBA there before coming to the United States for his doctorate. Prior to coming to Toronto Metropolitan University in 2006, he taught at the Fox School of Temple University in Philadelphia.
“Academia attracted me after I finished my first year of doctoral studies. As academics, we have the privilege to define what and how we study. There are duties we have, but beyond that, the job becomes what we want it to be, which is a very exciting proposition for me.”
Turetken has taught analytics and fundamentals of information systems and continues to teach a theory course for doctoral and master’s students at the Ted Rogers School that helps them frame their thesis research. He has served as the supervisor for a number of MScM and now PhD students, enjoying the connection to students who are doing research.
As the director of the Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management, administration has been a part of Turetken’s academic experience. During his term, he has led the transformation of BTM to a brand, which is supported by a top-notch innovative curriculum, strong faculty and active industry connections.
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