Dr. Hasan Ayaz co-chaired the 2026 Annual Conference of the Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA) with Dr. Canan Dağdeviren of MIT. Hosted by Drs. Aziz and Gwen Sancar, the conference took place October 2 to 4 at the Sancar Turkish Cultural and Community Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The sold-out conference brought together researchers, university leaders, entrepreneurs, and students from the United States and Türkiye. Under the theme Bridging Innovation in the Era of AI: Transnational Impact Across the U.S. and Türkiye, the two-day scientific program featured keynotes by Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar and entrepreneur Kenan Şahin, a fireside conversation with Gwen and Aziz Sancar, six panels, 15 lightning talks, and nearly 50 posters.
The lightning talks and poster sessions gave students and early-career researchers a chance to share their work and discuss it with peers and leaders from academia and industry. The poster hall stayed busy through the coffee breaks as attendees continued those conversations between sessions.
Ayaz Lab congratulates Drs. Ayaz and Dağdeviren, TASSA President Dr. Ercan Alp, and organizing committee members Nihat Çubukçu, Ayşenil Belger, Aylin Sagay, Fevzi Yalın, and Ahmet Alataş on a successful conference. The lab also recognizes the contributions of H.E. Ambassador Sedat Önal, the speakers and presenters, the moderators and session chairs, and the Sancar Center staff, volunteers, and sponsors.
TASSA 2026 conference website · Conference program
