Ela Gezen Receives Inaugural German Studies Association Mentoring Award

Professor of German recognized for her mentorship and advocacy for emerging scholars

Awards and Recognitions
An aerial, high-angle shot of South College at UMass Amherst. The foreground features the historic red-brick building with its distinct gabled roof and stone accents, seamlessly connected to a modern glass and steel addition. Manicured green lawns and paved walkways surround the complex. In the background, other campus buildings, lush green fields, and rolling blue hills stretch toward a clear horizon under a bright blue sky.
Ela Gezen

Ela Gezen, professor of German in the Department of German and Scandinavian Studies at UMass Amherst College of Humanities and Fine Arts, has been named a co-recipient of the inaugural 2026 German Studies Association (GSA) Mentoring Award.

The national award recognizes outstanding mentorship of students and fellow scholars. In its announcement, the GSA praised Gezen's contributions to Turkish-German cultural history and her commitment to creating opportunities for students and early-career scholars, particularly those from underrepresented communities.

The association also highlighted Gezen's influence across North America and Europe, describing her as a scholar whose work combines innovative research with a sustained commitment to mentorship.

"The generosity of a network of mentors was indispensable to my development as a teacher-scholar," Gezen said. Drawing on those experiences, she emphasizes a holistic approach to mentorship that recognizes the personal and professional circumstances shaping academic life, as well as the reciprocal benefits of mentoring relationships.

Gezen also played a key role in establishing the GSA Mentoring Award, serving as the inaugural chair of the association's mentoring task force.

Learn more about the GSA Mentoring Award.

Article posted in Awards and Recognitions