Abstract

Every scientific discovery starts with a question. Then, it is a journey chasing the answer/s. Life is not any different. Asking the right question is very important and to learn where to look for the answer and which tools you need to use. In this talk, I will share my entrepreneurship journey chasing my own answers. I will share how I overcome biases and hurdles, what motivated me to an entrepreneurial academic life, how did I balance those and will share my research passion which is solution processed energy conversion materials and devices.

Biography

Rooted to Turkey, Prof. Derya Baran’s research career spans from Austria, Germany to UK where she obtained her degrees. Currently she is an Associate professor in Material Science and Engineering Program at KAUST. Her research group (OMEGALAB) focus on the engineering advanced functional materials for printed integrated electronics and energy harvesting devices. She has received several awards and honors including MIT Technology Review’s list of ‘35 Innovators under 35’ , ‘Talented 12’ in Chemistry given by American Chemical Society, Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry and ‘Top 20 Women behind tech companies in Middle East’ by Forbes magazine. She is a scientist at heart and entrepreneur in mind. She is co-founder of a KAUST born growth company called ‘iyris-previously RedSea’ solving the pressing issue of fresh water and energy crisis for agriculture in hot climates using smart greenhouse roofs. She strives to be a role model with her research and mentorship to next generations.