CHSS Senior of the Year

Su Benli

Su Benli is an international student from Turkey majoring in global affairs with a concentration in human security and a minor in sociology. She is passionate about propelling women's representation in politics, which led her to found the student organization Women in Diplomacy, where she served as president for two terms. 

For her global affairs honors project, "Big Brother is Watching: The Impacts of Digital Authoritarianism on Maintaining Long Term Political Power," she surveyed more than 70 people across Turkey and Iran about the social results of digital repression and did policy analysis on related laws. The project earned the Social Impact Award from the CHSS Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Excellence in Scholarly Inquiry award from the global affairs department. 

Additionally, Benli has taken on leadership roles across campus, including as vice-president of the Global Affairs Club, vice-president of the Geography Club, and outreach ambassador for Henna for a Cause. She also serves as a Learning Assistant for GGS101: Major World Regions, has interned twice with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs of Turkey, and studied abroad in Thailand. 
 
Benli is planning to pursue graduate school internationally to continue building her career in diplomacy and international affairs.