mem_somervilleFeb 22

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.

Show threademotional support tigerFeb 22
@mem_somerville isn’t it in #MedfordMA, 😂
Show threadAndromeda Yelton
@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.
Feb 23 at 1:35amWeb
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