ˈæftɚ ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾɪŋ fɹʌm ɹˈɑːbɚt kˈɑːlɪdʒ ʌv ˌɪstˌænbˈʊl, ʃiː stˈʌdid ˌænθɹəpˈɑːlədʒi æt stˈænfɚd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi bˌiːˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː ænd dɪvˈɛləpmənt sˌoʊsɪˈɑːlədʒi æt kɔːɹnˈɛl jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi pˌiːˈeɪtʃ dˈiː nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn.
After graduating from Robert College of Istanbul, she studied Anthropology at Stanford University (BA 1982) and Development Sociology at Cornell University (PhD 1991).