Autobiography
Upon receiving her B.S. in Psychology at METU (Middle East Technical University) in 1984, Prof. Dr. Figen Çok started her M.A. in the department of Psychological Services in Education at Ankara University, and joined the faculty of Educational Sciences as a full-time research assistant in 1987. She got her Ph.D. in 1993 and was appointed as an assistant professor same year. She was previously a visiting scholar at Oregon State University, USA hosted by Dr. Liz Gray from the department of Psychological Counselling of Faculty of Educational Sciences and carried out the operations in Turkey as a part of an international project on “Sexual Behaviours of College Students and HIV/AIDS” between 1994 and 1995. She got her associate professorship on Educational Psychology in 1997 and she became professor while she was working at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Ankara University. She retired from Ankara University in 2010 where she worked in various positions including the head of department of Educational Psychology, head of Psychological Services in Education, Member of Institute of Educational Sciences and Executive Board and assistant director of Centre for Research on Child Culture and started working at Başkent University, Faculty of Educational Sciences. She worked as the head of Educational Sciences in the Faculty of Educational Sciences and faculty member in the department of Guidance and Psychological Counselling. She worked as the head of Educational Sciences department in Educational Sciences Faculty of TED University between 2012 and 2017. She is currently working at Başkent University, Faculty of Education as a full professor of psychological Counseling and Guidabce program and chairing the Department of Educational Sciences.
Prof. Dr. Figen Cok has many projects and publications on psychosocial development in adolescence, sexual development and education, transition to adulthood, youth and participation. Her research interests are as follows: psychosocial development in adolescence, self-construal, self-concealing, risk-taking behavior of adolescence, coping with stress in adolescence, romantic relationships, emerging adulthood, identity development, HIV/AIDS and adolescents, sexulaity education, body image, adolescents and media, youth and participation. Along with writing essays in both Turkish and English essays, she also translated a textbook titled “Book and Adolescence” and it was granted University Textbooks award by TÜBA in 2009. She’s taken part in various projects within the scope of 7TH European Commission Framework Program, TÜBİTAK, Ankara University BAP (Scientific Research Projects), EU Life-long Learning, mostly as a coordinator, on LDV and IP levels. She’s also involved in a project titled ERDEP conducted by Turkish Ministry of National Education and “Raising Health Awareness among Adolescents” by İKGV (Human Resources Development Foundation) and YÖK (Council of Higher Education). Prof. Dr. Çok is member of several academic institutions and has participated in scientific councils of various national and international meetings. Furthermore, she is the president of European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA). Prof. Dr. Çok is also married and has two children.