GSA Honors Bayazitoglu and Biln for Dedication

Bayazitoglu has sponsored 41 graduate students since coming
to Rice in 1977, and by all accounts, her influence on her
students goes far beyond the classroom or lab.

“It would be impossible to overstate the influence
she has had on my career,” said Jill Peterson, associate
professor of mechanical engineering at the University of
Florida. Peterson recalled how she arrived at Rice as a
new graduate student, desiring an academic career but lacking
the self-confidence needed to succeed.

“I left Rice University with a Ph.D, a tenure-track
position as an assistant professor at the University of
Florida and the clear vision of how to succeed in an academic
career,” Peterson said. “Dr. Bayazitoglu pointed
me in the right direction and has continued to help me throughout
my academic career.”

Bayazitoglu clearly develops a close bond with most of her
students, who affectionately refer to her as “Dr. B.”
Several described how she had mentored them, providing guidance
that went beyond simple career and professional advice.

Former student Jennifer Murphy said, “Dr. B has been
a role model for me. In a field where relatively few women
role models exist, I was fortunate to have one that excelled
in many different professional and personal areas.”

The second recipient of the GSA award, Biln came to Rice
in 1998 as the Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in
Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning. He taught courses
on shape and substance, architecture and society and architecture
and the city during the 2001-02 academic year. Over the
past several years he has been researching and writing about
the social implications of architectural form. He also has
been involved in the development of “arkhe,” an
interactive image environment oriented to design, research
and teaching activities in art and architecture.

Various graduate students in Rice’s School of Architecture
have commended Biln for a teaching style that encourages
them to discover knowledge on their own.

“Conversations in his office, often lasting for hours,
seem spontaneous and off-the-cuff,” said Kayte Young,
a third-year graduate student. “But later I discover
how careful and crafted his comments are, never telling
me too much and always pushing me to ask myself tougher
questions and to test tentative positions.”