About
Hello,
My name is Ozgur Seker. I am a PhD Candidate in Economics at University of Pennsylvania. My doctoral research was involving macro economic theory, scientific computation, data extracting, data cleaning, and causal inference. As I transition to the next phase of my career, I am eager to leverage my analytical expertise and experience in data science, quantitative research, or consulting roles.
Professional Interest
Quantitative Finance
I am passionate about quantitative finance and aspire to build a professional career in this field. For the past eight years, I’ve managed both my own investment portfolio and my parents’. To enhance my trading decisions, I’ve been developing personal tools for the stock market, including backtesting systems, trading bots for IBKR, automated theoretical benchmark reports for daily stock picks, and technical analysis summary reports. I thoroughly enjoy coding, staying up-to-date with market trends, and managing investments.
Teaching
I have a deep passion for teaching. Before finishing my PhD, I will have had the opportunity to independently teach five different courses at Penn LPS (four sections of Introduction to Microeconomics and one of Introduction to Macroeconomics). While I had over six years of experience as a teaching assistant, stepping into the role of instructor was a completely different challenge. At first, it was incredibly stressful, and I felt quite nervous. But with time, it became easier, and I grew to love it. I seized every opportunity to teach, and thankfully, I had more chances to do so than most PhD students typically get.
Extracurricular Activities
I’d like to share how I typically spend my free time.
Table Tennis
I am an avid table tennis player with competitive experience. I served as the captain of my college’s table tennis team from 2012 to 2016, during which I organized tournaments and competed in national college championships. I also played for Penn’s table tennis team and continue to stay active by playing at local clubs.
NBA Fantasy basketball
I’m a big fan of basketball, both the NBA and EuroLeague, but playing fantasy basketball is an entirely different experience. I’ve been playing fantasy basketball with a group of friends since 2017, and it’s surprisingly similar to managing an investment portfolio. You have to track stats, trends, and news, while making decisions about which players are worth investing in for the short or long term. Plus, the friendly banter and trash talk with friends make it even more fun.
Age of Empires 2
Even after 25 years, it’s still the best RTS game ever. I love watching pro-level matches and tournaments, especially when T90 is casting. The way a game unfolds—the macro and micro decision-making, and how strategies evolve throughout—really fascinates me. Although I’m a better-than-average player (around 1200 ELO), I consider myself more of a fan than a player.
Classical Kemence and Music
The classical kemençe, a traditional instrument from Istanbul, Turkey, captured my attention in high school with its unique sound. While I had always been involved in music, playing guitar and keyboard, I decided to learn the kemençe during my college years. I’ve been playing since 2013 and performed with classical music communities at TOBB ETU and Koç University. I’ve also shared some of my work and covers on Youtube and SoundCloud
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