Rate My Professor Alaz Kilicaslan

Alaz Kilicaslan is an Associate Professor and Ad Hoc Program Specialist in the Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he has served as a faculty member since 2012 and was appointed Assistant Professor in 2018. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Boston University in 2018, M.A. in Sociology from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey, and B.A. from Boğaziçi University. Kilicaslan teaches diverse undergraduate courses such as Individual and Society, Culture, Medicine and Health, Sociology of Health and Illness, Sociology of Social Class, Topics in Global Health, Global Perspectives, and Sociology of Money. His pedagogical approach is rooted in Karl Popper's critical rationalism, fostering cooperative learning environments that synthesize theoretical insights with practical applications. He has pioneered innovative assignments including hearsay ethnography and medical technology research projects, which students describe as directly applicable to their future careers. Kilicaslan provides extensive mentorship to learners ranging from high school students to Ph.D. candidates.

Kilicaslan specializes in economic and medical sociology, with research examining the role of money in political organizations, immigrant access to healthcare, and time pressures within medical care settings. A key publication is his co-authored peer-reviewed article, 'Varieties of corona news: a cross-national study on the foundations of online misinformation production during the COVID-19 pandemic,' published in the Journal of Computational Social Science in 2022. He has also been acknowledged for assistance in 'The Politics of Expanding Healthcare Access to the Poor: Lessons from Thailand,' appearing in Sociological Forum in 2019. In service to the institution, Kilicaslan co-chaired the College of Letters and Sciences' Inclusive Excellence Committee, leading the development of the Faculty Mentorship Program. His contributions to teaching, mentorship, and service resulted in a nomination for the 2026 Faculty and Academic Staff Awards. During graduate studies, he held the Boston University Graduate Research Abroad Fellowship in 2014-15.