Education: Ph.D. in Political Science from University of California
Ş. İlgü Özler is the founder and Director of the SUNY Global Engagement Program in NYC and an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at SUNY New Paltz. Her research focuses on civic engagement as it relates to political parties, non-governmental organizations and social movements. She has done research on urban slums and squatter areas in Turkey, Mexico and Chile with her recent work focusing on Turkish civil society organizations and political participation. She teaches courses on the United Nations and global civil society. Since 2004 she has organized and participated in over 360 briefings for her students at the United Nations. She has engaged her students in applied work in global affairs through the Global Engagement Program in affiliation with 40 different international organizations. She is the founder of Mid-Hudson Valley local chapters of Amnesty International USA (served as coordinator 2011-2017) and of the United Nations Association (served as president 2013-2017). Özler received her Ph.D. in Political Science from University of California, Los Angeles (2003).