mem_somerville

For anyone who could use a spot of good news--outside of our region you might not have heard of it.

Dr. #RumeysaOzturk has completed her PhD.

"I would like to be called Dr. Öztürk, not Miss Öztürk, from now on.”

Yes, Dr. sister!

#SomervilleMA

https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/02/20/ozturk-phd-tufts-ice-immigration

Rümeysa Öztürk completes doctorate at Tufts nearly a year after harrowing ICE arrest

The Turkish national and Tufts University student was swept off the streets of Somerville last year by masked immigration agents. In a social media post this week, she announced she's completed her doctorate from Tufts’ Department of Child Study and Human Development.

Feb 22 at 3:59pmWeb
Show threademotional support tigerFeb 22
@mem_somerville isn’t it in #MedfordMA, 😂
Show threadAndromeda YeltonFeb 23
@aojiaohu @mem_somerville Although the official Tufts mailing address is in Medford, the Somerville/Medford line runs through campus, and the abduction was in Somerville. Not sure where the literal graduation ceremony was held.
Show threadCrystal Huff (they/them)Feb 23
@thatandromeda @aojiaohu @mem_somerville February graduates generally get their diploma but celebrate with pomp and circumstance in the May event. Unless there was a small Child Dev dept ceremony for Rumeysa (totally possible, esp given the circumstances), I suspect there wasn't a ceremony this month. (But also to the question, the big May graduation ceremonies are on the lawn at the top of the hill, which is in Medford territory, and the CD dept itself is deeply in Medford borders.)
Show threademotional support tigerFeb 23
@thatandromeda @mem_somerville yeah I live very close to that line
Show threadΞVΞ🦋Feb 22

@mem_somerville

So happy for her. The powers that be don’t understand that standing in our way just makes us stronger

Show threadmuslumanFeb 22
@mem_somerville congrats for her , so nice to see a muslim woman got a success like that
Show threadAlsyFeb 22
@mem_somerville This brings me so much joy. Hers was the first story I recall hearing (on This American Life) about what America was doing to its people. Go Rümeysa!!
Show threaddalia rezkFeb 22
@mem_somerville Congratulations, Madam
Show threaddisorderlyfFeb 22
@mem_somerville The superior Dr. Oz!
Show thread🍀March Mastodoness🍀Feb 22

@mem_somerville The best way to defeat fascism:

Don't get mad, get educated. THEN get mad.

Show threadCrystal Huff (they/them)Feb 23

Rümeysa also wrote a really good editorial for the Guardian that was published last week:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/feb/18/rumeysa-ozturk-trauma-children-ice-gaza

@mem_somerville

After my ICE arrest, I learned one crucial way to respond to trauma. We can all take part

I was detained for co-writing a op-ed about Gaza as a student at Tufts. My experience has only made me feel more connected to others facing oppression

The Guardian