Ozlem Yardimci is a mechanical engineer with a PhD degree. She has been living in United States since 1993. After graduating from Middle East Technical University – Mechanical Engineering Department with MS degree, she moved to Chicago to complete her PhD studies at University of Illinois at Chicago. She has been employed by medical device and industrial gas companies since her graduation. She published numerous articles, one book and five patents. She lives in Lake Forest with her husband Dr. Atif Yardimci and their children Su (15) and Efe (10).  She has been volunteering at TACA Ataturk School in recent years in various roles such as Turkish history/culture teacher and Parent-Teacher Organization president.