Mr. Yazaroglu graduated in 2006 with a bachelor degree in Geological Engineering from Ankara University. After graduation he served in the Turkish Military Service for one year, then accepted employment with the Metropolitan Municipality of Sakarya in Turkey as a geology engineer. He was awarded a scholarship from the Ministry of National Education and The Turkish Petroleum Corporation to pursue graduate studies overseas. He decided to join the SG program at Rice to specialize in sedimentology with the goal to pursue a career in the petroleum exploration. Ekrem pursued an internship with Kerogen Exploration and returned to Turkey to work for the Turkish Petroleum Corp.