Zeki Furkan Sarılıcan is a 2nd year PhD student and a Rutgers Presidential Fellow (2023-2026). His research focuses on American missionary enterprise in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Furkan's academic interests include the architectural representation of American missionaries in the Middle East, the role of missionaries in nation-building in the region, and the socio-cultural and political dynamics of missionary activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Prior to his doctoral studies, Furkan earned his master's degree from Middle East Technical University's Architectural History Department with his thesis titled ""Robert College: The Building of an American School in Istanbul, 1863-1977.""