Serra Kocak

Gender, Immigration, and Labor
Ph.D in Sociology & Visiting Assistant Professor
@LafCol

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Such a wonderful start to #ASA2026
The International Migration Section did an incredible job bringing together NGOs,community organizations, immigration lawyers, and academics to think together about how we can translate our scholarly research into meaningful policy and practice.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

This is my American Dream.
To keep growing, keep learning, and keep contributing.

I'm incredibly grateful and excited to begin this new chapter as part of the wonderful community at Lafayette College.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Today, I'm packing those same two suitcases and heading to Easton to begin my next chapter as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Lafayette College. https://t.co/iUq0sS9DHx
https://t.co/Wnq9uWGIaF

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Transformed my dissertation into a documentary. Published two peer-reviewed articles with Oxford University Press. https://t.co/b95pBW9Jqp

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Ten years ago today, I landed at JFK with two suitcases, an F-1 visa, and countless hopes and dreams.
Completed my Ph.D., designed and taught five sociology courses at Binghamton University and Elmira College. Awarded for Excellence in Teaching.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Accidentally match with your colleague day in the department 🧿 Have a wonderful week!🧿 @binghamtonu

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

This summer has been full of milestones. I successfully defended my dissertation and am honored to now be Dr. Serra Kocak. I carry this degree with the intention of empowering others, especially minority women. May this research continue to uplift and strengthen the communities.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

I’m excited to share that I’m turning my Ph.D. dissertation into a documentary film titled Halal New York: How Success Happens for Second-Generation American Muslim Women. This project has also been awarded the Digital Scholarship Grant by Binghamton University.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

I’m honored to have received the Excellence in Teaching Award at Binghamton University.

While my amazing students’ anonymous letters mean more to me than any award, it still feels nice to be recognized!

Together, we’re making the world a better place—one syllabus at a time!

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

I am teaching the Sociology of Reproduction for the Fall semester and Gender, Immigration, and Labor for the Spring Semester. If anyone has movie, documentary, or TV show recommendations, I would love to incorporate them into my syllabus.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

#ASA2023 was full of learning, inspiring, empowering, connecting, and smiling! Leaving with the necessary motivation for new research projects! See you next year @ASAnews

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Fez reminded me of Istanbul, and I enjoyed exploring it a lot.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

I feel like the peak of being a sociologist is when you leave your laptop at home and have honest conversations with random people in daily life. In those moments, I still can't think of their stories without the structural inequalities, and privileges.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

Met with 23 years old Amazigh boy, born and raised in the Sahara Desert,and move to the city,Marrakesh,for the first time in his life the last year. We had Arabic and English conversations about growing up in the desert. He is fluent in 5 languages without leaving the country.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

I presented my research in Morocco and traveled solo to different cities.Met with so many wonderful people on the road,listened to their stories,had a wonderful time,learned to say goodbye,and moved to my following location.Learned many things that I wouldn't learn in any school.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! I am grateful to be trained by one of the most eminent professors in the field.I did not only learn about sociology but also learned to be an intellectual and a teacher.Most importantly,I learned to use the power to empower others.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

I lost my advisor for six years, Prof.Benita Roth, to a cancer on May27th. It all happened in a month rapidly! It is still quite a shock for me, so sudden and unfortunate. She did not expect that. I did not expect that. We had many plans for this summer💔

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

@CEC2023_LUC was very inspiring! One way to improve your research method is by listening to other ethnographers' research.

[Serra Kocak @serra_kck]

https://t.co/UllBnErbxV

[Paula England @EnglandPaula]

Sociologists on the junior market--NYU Abu Dhabi where I am Dean of Social Science will be hiring 1 or more sociologists this year. If you're coming to ASA and would like to talk to one of our faculty, DM me and we can see if that makes sense.