Mertcan Okul
Biography
Mertcan Okul is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Translation Studies Program in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies at 性福五月天 University. In this capacity, Okul has served as instructor of record for Diversity in Today's Russia (MCLS 22217-001, Fall 2025), Introduction to Structural Concepts for Language Students (MCLS 10001, Spring 2026), and Global Literacy and Cultural Awareness (MCLS 20001-002, Fall 2026). Okul holds a Master of Arts (MA) in English Translation and Interpreting from Hacettepe University, where the master's thesis examined the role of translation in introducing queer nonfiction book covers into the Turkish market. Prior to this, Okul graduated as the valedictorian of the Bachelor of Arts (BA) program in English Translation and Interpreting at Trakya University.
Okul's research interests include queer translation studies, multimodal translation studies, and the sociology of translation. Okul's published work comprises two Turkish-language articles: the first examines queer representation strategies in the dubbing and subtitling of the Netflix animated series Q-Force, and the second investigates othering discourse in three Turkish translations of Michael Cunningham's The Hours. In addition, Okul's English-language master's thesis proposes a multimodal analytical framework for examining queer representation on translated book covers. Further information about Okul's research and academic background is available on Academia.edu at
Research Keywords:
Embodied Translation, Queer Representation, Othering Discourse, Paratexts, Book Covers, Dubbing and Subtitling
Education
B.A. Trakya University, Edirne, T眉rkiye, 09/2018-06/2023, English Translation and Interpreting
Publications
- Okul, M. (2025). G枚rsel-陌艧itsel 脟eviride Kuir Temsiller: Q-Force 脰rne臒i [Queer Representations in Audiovisual Translation: The Case of Q-Force]. 脟eviribilim ve Uygulamalar谋 Dergisi.
- Okul, M. (2025). Edeb卯 dizgede s枚ylemin 莽eviri yoluyla in艧as谋: Saatler eseri 眉zerine bir 莽枚z眉mleme [The Construction of Discourse Through Translation in Literature: An Analysis of The Hours]. S枚ylem Filoloji Dergisi.
- 2023- Primary Investigator, Assessment of The Translation Competence and Readiness for The Translation Market of the 4th Grade Translation and Interpreting Students: The Case of Trakya University. TUBITAK 2209-A - Research Project Support Program for Unde
- Kumlu, D., & Okul, M. (2023). Yapay Zek芒 ile 脟eviri Uygulamalar谋: K眉lt眉rel Unsurlar谋n 脟evirisinde ChatGPT (Translation Applications with Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT in Translating Cultural Elements) E. Barut (Ed.), Contemporary Translation Studies: B
- Okul, M. (2024, October 10-11). G枚rsel-i艧itsel 莽eviride aktar谋m sorunlar谋 眉zerine bir inceleme: Q-Force 枚rne臒i (An analysis of transfer problems in audiovisual translation: The case of Q-Force) [Conference presentation]. Symposium on Translation Studies i
- Okul, M. (2024, September 30-October 2). Saatler eserinin 莽evirilerinde 枚tekile艧tirici s枚ylem (Othering discourse in the translations of The Hours) [Conference presentation]. 2nd International Congress on Academic Studies in Translation and Interpreting S
- Okul, M. (2026, April 10-12). Uncovering queer identity: Translating queer non-fiction book covers to geopolitical crossroads [Conference presentation]. Twelfth Biennial Conference of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association (ATISA XI