Every Effort Makes a Difference: The Legacy of Professor Yaman Yener

Originally from Turkey and with over 30 years as a faculty member at Northeastern’s College of Engineering, Professor Yaman Yener touched many lives during his career—faculty and students alike—so much so that his family and friends established in 2013 in his honor and memory the Yaman Yener Memorial Graduate Scholarship for international engineering students.

An overall educator, teaching undergraduate to PhD students, Yener had a special commitment to the recruiting and support of international graduate students, especially from his home country of Turkey. Appointed associate dean for research and graduate studies in 1992 and senior associate dean of faculty affairs in 2010, his efforts helped lay the foundation for the College of Engineering doubling its graduate student population over ten years.

Professor Yaman Yener and his family at his wife Demet’s graduation ceremony where she received an MS in Information Systems.

In speaking of the importance of the scholarship, Yener’s wife, Demet, commented, “We established the scholarship for international graduate engineering students in my husband’s name to carry on his legacy of helping international students pursue a graduate education. He was beloved for his efforts not only at Northeastern but also in the Turkish community. The fund sets an example as to the importance of education, including Turkish women in engineering and science.”

Yener’s daughter and Northeastern alumna, Zeynep Yener, DMSB’05, is carrying on the family’s tradition of advocating for educational opportunities in Turkey. In addition to bringing awareness to the scholarship fund, she has introduced Cooperative Education in Turkey through her work as Director of International Co-op at Bahcesehir University. Continuing her efforts and focus for global education, she is currently the program development manager, responsible for creating various international programs for students within Bahcesehir University’s numerous global locations.

Professor Yaman Yener with his students.

Awarded annually to a full-time international graduate student in the College of Engineering, to date the scholarship has benefited six students. Generous contributions of Yener’s family, friends, associates and others in Turkey have raised over $260,000 to date, more than halfway to reaching the fund’s goal.

There are many ways to give at Northeastern, and this fund shows how people inspired and passionate about encouraging an engineering and science education can come together to make a difference in the lives of students and in society. Those interested in contributing to the fund can visit the Giving website.