Jessica “Je” Salvador, Turkish

What is your department and degree?

I am in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) program at the UW Information School.

What do you focus on in your research/studies?

I have two foci: information literacy and information security.

How are your research/studies related to Europe? 

I am specifically interested in how the current refugee crisis in the EU and Turkey can be mitigated by information professionals who focus on securing information and on teaching information literacy to refugees who need to integrate into their new communities.

How has the FLAS impacted your research/studies and career goals?

The FLAS has inspired me to apply for PhD programs in Information Sciences so that I can continue to apply my research to helping Turkish-language communities and those in the Turkish context.

What draws you to study Turkish?

I was drawn to study Turkish and Turkey by beautiful rebels like Zeki Müren and Bülent Ersoy. However, upon arriving in Turkey and beginning to study the language, I realized I was embarking on a lifelong relationship with a language and perspective that is as complex as the geography of the country is varied.

What impact do you hope to have with your language and area studies knowledge?

With my language and area studies knowledge, I hope to positively impact the lives of refugees planning to integrate better into Turkey or the EU. I believe that what I have learned this year about Europe, coupled with my knowledge of Information Sciences, can indeed serve these vulnerable but resilient populations.