Dr. Ozgur Turetken
Dr. Ozgur Turetken (BS, MBA, PhD) feels that launching the Associate Dean Research position as a separate portfolio in TRSM leadership signals what the academic transformation at the school will mean for years to come.
“Research allows you to not only learn, but also contribute to knowledge so others can learn as well. The academic enterprise would be incomplete without a strong research component, and I am excited to lead the support for all things research at TRSM.”
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 content is leveraged. Turetken conducts a lot of experiments with human subjects, not the most common approach in business schools. A recent study experimented with text mining of user-generated content in helping consumers to make a purchasing decision. 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: 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 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.”
Turetken has taught analytics and fundamentals of information systems and continues to teach a theory course for thesis students in the Master of Science in Management (MScM) program that helps them frame their thesis research. He has served as the supervisor for a number of MScM 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 Ryerson BTM to a brand, which is supported by a top-notch innovative curriculum, strong faculty and active industry connections.
Learn more about Professor Ozgur Turetken
