Melis Gemalmaz is a PhD student in Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, with a research focus on spirituality, trauma, and medical and psychological anthropology. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Studies and a B.S. in Computer Science from Sabanci University. Her undergraduate research examined the rise of contemporary forms of spirituality in Turkey as a response to growing pressures of neoliberalism, ethnic discrimination, and gendered violence. Through her conversations with female fortune tellers, Melis became interested in how a sense of spirituality can lead to collective healing and reclamation of agency. She has also worked as a research intern in Hrant Dink Foundation, where she witnessed the ways in which minorities in Turkey recover and rebuild after traumatic cases of ethnic violence.
Following the 2023 Turkey earthquakes, Melis observed firsthand the role of spirituality in healing after a collective trauma, particularly at a moment when medicalized psychological support was inadequate. At University of Notre Dame, she intends to continue this exploration by conducting ethnographic research with earthquake survivors in Turkey, and investigating how they navigate post-trauma life with spirituality.