BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF

Chair and President
     Dr. Gungor E. Eroglu

Secretary
     Dr. Ali K. Ozturk

Treasurer
    Mr. Sinan Sahin

Members at Large
   Dr. Kaya Bilguvar
   Mrs. Georgia Onart
   Dr. Mustafa Demirturk

Spark Education and Research Foundation doesn't have any staff. Board of Directors, particularly Dr. Eroglu do most of the work. It is however one of our goals to hire some professionals with great imaginations and creativity to carry Spark to its intended place as soon as we are economically in better shape.

Gungor E. Eroglu is the founder of Spark Education and Research Foundation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors as a chair and president.

Following graduation from Medical School of Istanbul University in Istanbul, Turkey in 1966, she did her internship and residency in the department of internal medicine of the same medical shool and hospital.

She did her fellowship in the Division of Hematology of Ankara Post Graduate Hospital in Ankara, Turkey. As soon as she completed her fellowship, she came to the United States in 1976.

She worked as a post doctoral fellow for three years in the Division of Immunology in Medical School of University of California in Los Angeles and clinical fellow for two years in the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology of Medical Center of University of Colorado in Denver.

While she was working as an Assistant Professor of Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Alllergy and Clinical Immunology and Director of Immunology and Histocompatibiliy Laboratory of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, she was made board eligible by the Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine and by the Dean of Medical School, to take the internal medicine board in the category of distinguished faculty without doing residency in internal medicine in USA. She passed the board in internal medicine and allergy and clinical immunology, became board certified on both, in addition to board certifications in internal medicine and hematology in Turkey.

Following working as an associate professor and then full professor, she took early retirement in 2006 to devote more time and effort to Spark.

After forty eight scientific publications in leading medical journals, she wrote her first novel "My Son is in Iraq". The proceeds from the sale of this book is donated to Spark.

Mission

As its name indicates, Spark Education and Research Foundation is dedicated to education and research. By carrying out this mission it contributes to efforts to make a better world.

To fulfill this mission, the foundation makes donations to medical research projects and also sponsors doctors to work on these projects.

hıstory

Although Spark Education and Research Foundation was established by Dr. Gungor E. Eroglu in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana, it had been in her mind for a long time. Its roots go back to her middle and high school years. She had passion for education.While she was herself a student she had tutored students in her neighborhood,who were below their grade level, for free in various subjects: mathematics, science, history, and English language.

This passion for education made her pursue an academic career in medical schools and research centers. Later on she developed the idea of establishing a foundation for education and research. She generously gave her time and money to fund the organization, in addition to public support.

The foundation is certainly a small one. She named it "Spark" due to its small budget. She however states that compared to big research centers and big foundations, we know that we are a tiny spark but we also know that it is the tiny spark triggering the big flames and explosions.

When she moved to New Haven, Connecticut, Spark was transferred there as well. Presently, it is incorporated in Connecticut as non-profit public organization, and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) organization. Therefore donations to Spark are tax deductible.

GUNGOR E. EROGLU, FOUNDER

Let's bring a spark

into fire together.

Spark Education and Research Foundation