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Portrait of John Kalkanli, Future Professor

John Kalkanli

PhD Student Aims To Teach the Future About the Past

John Kalkanli walking across the graduation stage with Deputy, his guide dog, and shaking the hand of Dr. Nils Roemer, dean of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology.
John Kalkanli MA’23 walks across the graduation stage with Deputy, his guide dog, and shakes the hand of Dr. Nils Roemer, dean of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology.

John Kalkanli MA’23 came from a family that wanted him to have as many academic opportunities as possible. In their home country of Turkey, they struggled to find adequate support, resources and even a clear educational path for someone like him, who is completely blind in both eyes. The family left nearly 25 years ago and settled in Dallas, where Kalkanli would earn a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees and, soon, a PhD.

Kalkanli is a humanities doctoral student in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. Teaching others about the horrors of the Holocaust is his passion.

“What gravitated me toward The University of Texas at Dallas is the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies,” Kalkanli said. “I knew all along that I wanted to pursue a career in the field of human rights studies, and this institution maintains the appropriate resources to assist me in achieving my potential. UT Dallas is one of only a few universities where I am able to pursue a doctorate in areas related to the Holocaust, genocide and human rights.”

The Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies was founded at UT Dallas in 1986 with a mission to teach the past and change the future. The center offers students a unique environment that makes core texts and videos from the Arnold A. Jaffe Holocaust Library Collection and the Franklin H. Littell and Marcia Sachs Littell Collection accessible to all students. Students are also encouraged to use the space to engage special resources, research and collaborate with scholars, survivors and families of survivors.

John Kalkanli sitting on a stone wall in front of the student memorial fountain next to Deputy, a yellow labrador.
John Kalkanli is sitting beside Deputy, a yellow Labrador, wearing a Seeing Eye harness looking at the camera. Behind them is the Student Memorial Fountain, magnolia trees and a blue sky at UTD.

“Many people ask me why I study the Holocaust when I tell them I am pursuing a degree in this field,” Kalkanli said. “Studying the Holocaust contributes to civics and human rights education, inviting us to reflect on the fundamental themes of life in society and the negative impacts of common realities including racism, antisemitism, ableism, discrimination and hatred. This also allows us the opportunity to think about the fragility of democracy, the importance of citizenship and the necessity of holding our elected leaders accountable for their actions.”

Kalkanli’s goal is to become a full-time professor of Holocaust and human rights studies. As part of his PhD program, he works as a teaching assistant alongside his guide dog, Deputy.

“The students love him,” Kalkanli said. “They are very cognizant that Deputy is a working dog, so even though they are tempted at times to play with him or pet him, they know better. They’re aware he is here for a purpose, so they don’t come close to him when he is working.”

The University helps provide accommodations for students and employees with disabilities through spaces like the Accessibility Resource Center and the Eugene McDermott Library. For people like Kalkanli, the support and resources make a huge difference.

“My TA position is equipping me with the necessary tools and skills that are most essential for becoming a highly qualified educator,” said Kalkanli. “In a sense, it is preparing me for what I want to do in the future. So UTD has basically said ‘forget the barriers, let’s do this.’”

Kalkanli hopes to complete his PhD program by December 2026.