Congratulations Turker!

Professor Turker Ozdogan retired at the end of 2024. Below is a note from Dean Kessmann about Turker’s long career. Congratulations, Turker!

During his 51st year of teaching at GW, Turker Ozdogan has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.  He will teach his final three courses this fall 2023 semester, and then he will be on research leave during the spring 2024 semester.

Turker Ozdogan, an artist and Professor of Ceramics, received his initial training in ceramics and a Masters of Ceramics diploma from the Applied Fine Arts School in Istanbul, Turkey.  He also completed apprenticeships at the Eczacibasi Ceramics Factory in Turkey and the Furst Adolf Werkstatte Fur Keramik in Buckeburg, Germany.  Turker went on to continue his formal education in the United States, first at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, where he was awarded a fellowship, and then at the George Washington University, where he received his Master of Fine Arts degree.

Turker has received numerous research grants and awards, as well as recognition from both national and international juries for the work that he has displayed in both solo and group exhibitions.  These have been shown in a variety of locations, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, Meridian House, and the United Nations Plaza Gallery.  His work in ceramics has been praised and featured in a variety of media, and it has been reproduced in books about ceramics.  Turker's work has been widely collected in many public and private collections in the United States and abroad, such as The George Washington University's Permanent Collection, Kale Ceramics Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, Greece Municipality Museums in Athens, Greece, Osan City Museum in Osan, South Korea, and in various embassies around the world.

Turker will be ending his career where he started it, at the Corcoran.  Believe it or not, Turker was a Ceramic Assistant at the Corcoran College from 1970-1972 while he was earning his MFA at George Washington University.  After receiving his MFA, Turker taught for one year at Federal City College in DC from 1972-1973.  In 1973 Turker was hired as an assistant professor and he has since moved through the rank of associate to his current position as a full professor.

Please join me in thanking Turker for his many contributions over the last 50 years and wishing him a long, productive, and hopefully relaxing retirement!

Dean Kessman