Ata is a PhD student working with Professor David Lazer as a member of the Lazer Lab. He is broadly interested in social networks, and interdisciplinary applications of network science and computer science in social science domains. His current research interests lie in social networks' impact on political behavior, elections and governance, formation of public opinion, and online privacy. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a dual degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Koç University with a full scholarship, and minored in International Relations. He worked for a global airline in their cybersecurity department for two years. He provided consulting and auditing for IT projects in terms of cybersecurity, privacy, and regulation compliance.