Founding Members
Prof. Dr. Figen ÇOK
President of the Board
She received her undergraduate degree from the psychology program at METU, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Psychological Services in Education program at Ankara University’s Institute of Social Sciences. During her graduate studies, she also worked as a research assistant in the Psychological Services in Education department of Ankara University’s Faculty of Educational Sciences. She was appointed as an assistant professor in 1993, became an associate professor in Educational Psychology in 1997, and was promoted to full professorship in 2003. After working at all academic levels and serving as the department head at Ankara University, she retired in 2010. She later worked as a faculty member and Chair of the Department of Education Sciences at both Başkent University and TED University’s Faculties of Education. She is currently a faculty member at Başkent University’s Faculty of Education. She has been interested in adolescent and youth development since the beginning of her academic career, and has conducted research, published articles and book chapters, and presented at conferences in this field. Her research focuses on psychosocial development, transition to adulthood, and identity development. Dr. Çok is the author of numerous articles, books, and book chapters, and served on the board of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA) from 2006 to 2018. From 2014 to 2016, she served as the president of the association. She has also participated in various adolescent-related applied projects carried out by government ministries, universities, and NGOs. Dr. Çok has worked as a principal investigator, researcher, or consultant in various projects supported by national and international funding. Dr. Çok, who sees it as her mission to explain and research adolescence and youth in a scientifically based way to society, psychological counselors, and teacher candidates, founded the Association for Research on Adolescence and Youth in order to promote the development of research in the field. She is also a member of the board of trustees and board of directors of the Aegean Children and Trauma Foundation. Dr. Figen Çok is married and a mother of two.
Prof. Dr. Yalçın ÖZDEMİR
Vice President
Yalçın Özdemir, an expert in parenting and child rearing, completed his undergraduate and graduate programs in Guidance and Psychological Counseling at the Middle East Technical University Faculty of Education and his doctoral program in Educational Psychology at Ankara University Faculty of Education. He worked as a psychological counselor in educational institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education between 1998 and 2009. Since 2009, he has been working at Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Education, Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling. His research interests include parenting, child-rearing, and child and adolescent development. The researcher has published articles on these areas in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Öğretim Üyesi Ali Serdar SAĞKAL
Association Treasurer
Ali Serdar Sağkal, who is an expert in preventive guidance services, family, and child studies in schools, has completed his undergraduate degree in the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling at the Faculty of Education of Boğaziçi University, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling at the Faculty of Education of Dokuz Eylül University.
Working as a psychological counselor at a public primary school in Izmir between 2009 and 2011, Ali Serdar Sağkal has been working in the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling at the Faculty of Education of Aydın Adnan Menderes University since 2011. It is possible to state that his research and interest areas include developmental and preventive guidance programs in schools, and family and child studies. The researcher has published articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals on these areas of study. He is married and has one child.