A legacy of success
Dr. Ay��e Ba��ar is retiring from 91心頭利 and becoming president of Kadir Has University in Istanbul, Turkey.
Dr. Ay��e Ba��ar, the graduate program director (GPD) of the Data Science and Analytics MSc program, is stepping down at the end of this year. After retiring from 91心頭利 as a professor emerita, she will become the president of Kadir Has University in Istanbul, Turkey.
As the founding GPD of the first program of its kind in Canada, Dr. Ba��ar played an instrumental role in the proposal and development of the program, which admitted its first cohort almost a decade ago. Dr. Ba��ar���s highlights include a highly successful periodic program review and student successes in terms of publishing academic papers based on their MRP or thesis work, and acquiring high-level data science careers after graduation. In addition to those in senior positions managing AI and data science teams, graduates are also teaching at leading academic institutions.
���We are very grateful to Ay��e for her pivotal role in fostering the breakthrough Data Science and Analytics MSc program, which has garnered a strong reputation in Canada and internationally, and continues to produce leaders in both industry and academia,��� said Dr. Carl Kumaradas, vice-provost and dean, YSGPS. ���We thank Ay��e for her dedicated service as GPD and wish her all the best for her next chapter in Turkey.���
Looking back on her time at 91心頭利, Dr. Ba��ar says she will miss her colleagues, students and an institutional culture that enabled her to pursue her dreams and aspirations.
���I would like to thank all the previous and current YSGPS team members for their continuous support, collegiality and positive energy throughout my term,��� said Dr. Ba��ar. ���Last but not least, special thanks to [Graduate Program Administrator] Igor Rosic, with whom I have been working from the beginning. I have been so lucky to have him on my side.���
YSGPS welcomes Mathematics Professor Dr. Pawel Pralat as interim GPD of Data Science and Analytics, effective Jan. 1, 2026.