About Us
Dr. Nazlı Deniz Barutçuoğlu, Coordinator
Mariyana Akeel, Instructor
Email address: writingcenter@mef.edu.tr
Address: MEF University, 3rd floor, A Block, Office A-316
Staff Profiles
Dr. Nazlı Deniz Barutçuoğlu is the Coordinator of the Writing & Speaking Center at MEF
University. She holds a PhD in Foreign Language Education from Boğaziçi University,
an MA in Translation Studies from Dokuz Eylül University, and a BA in English
Language and Literature from Ege University. She also holds a CELTA qualification and
previously participated in the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA)
Program in the United States.
She has over fifteen years of experience in English language teaching across university
and secondary-school contexts. Her professional and research interests include
academic communication, multilingualism and linguistic ethnography, and the
integration of artificial intelligence into language learning and teaching.
As Coordinator of the Writing & Speaking Center, she works with students to develop
their academic and professional communication skills and collaborates with instructors
and faculties to develop workshops, projects, and other learning opportunities. She is
particularly interested in creating supportive spaces where students can build
confidence and become more effective, independent communicators.
Mariyana Akeel is an instructor at the Writing and Speaking Center. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature, a Cambridge Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DELTA), a Cambridge-approved CELTA Tutor qualification, and a TEFL certification. She is currently pursuing two master's degrees: a Master's in Learning Sciences at MEF University and a Master's in Adult Learning and Global Change at Linköping University. She has over fourteen years of experience in English language teaching and teacher training across diverse academic and corporate contexts. Her professional and research interests include instructional design, flipped learning, teacher training, adult education theory, and the application of learning sciences to optimize professional development and global workplace learning. In her role at the Writing and Speaking Center, she provides one-on-one consultations to support academic productive skills, business English, digital communication, and career readiness. She also helps students prepare for proficiency exams and job interviews, while actively facilitating student speaking clubs and professional workshops. She is dedicated to bridging the gap between instructional theory and classroom practice to support learners in achieving their full potential.