Prof. Dr. Uğurhan Akyüz is a Professor of Structural Engineering at the Department of Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara. He received his BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from METU and has been a faculty member of the department since 1998. His academic experience includes visiting appointments at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Dr. Uğurhan Akyüz is a Professor of Structural Engineering at the Department of Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara. He received his BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from METU and has been a faculty member of the department since 1998. His academic experience includes visiting appointments at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Texas at Austin.
Prof. Akyüz is internationally recognized for his contributions to earthquake engineering, seismic base isolation, and the strengthening and retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete structures. His research spans advanced nonlinear structural analysis, seismic protection systems, and the seismic evaluation of historical and monumental structures. He has authored numerous papers in leading international journals and has supervised a large number of master’s and doctoral theses.
In addition to his research and teaching activities, Prof. Akyüz has served METU in major administrative roles, including Dean and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.
Prof. Dr. Oral Yağcı serves as a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Division of Hydraulics, at Aydın Adnan Menderes University. He received his bachelor's degree from Istanbul Technical University in Civil Engineering and completed his master's and doctoral studies at the same institution in the field of water engineering. As part of his academic career, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University (United Kingdom) and Virginia Tech (USA).
Prof. Dr. Yağcı's research focuses on environmental fluid mechanics, ecohydraulics, coastal and river engineering, as well as experimental and numerical hydraulics. He has published numerous articles in internationally respected journals and is particularly recognized for his work on flow–sediment interactions, vegetated flows, and the hydrodynamic behavior of coastal structures. He has supervised many graduate-level theses throughout his career.
Prof. Dr. Özer Çinioğlu is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Boğaziçi University and serves as the Director of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute. He received his BSc degree in Civil Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, followed by MSc and PhD degrees in Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
He has been a faculty member at Boğaziçi University since 2007, his research and professional activities focus on geotechnical engineering, with particular emphasis on soil behavior, foundation engineering, and earthquake‑related geotechnical problems.
He has contributed extensively to international journals and conferences and has been actively involved in post‑earthquake reconnaissance studies, including investigations following the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes. His work integrates experimental, analytical, and numerical approaches to address complex soil–structure interaction problems.
Prof. Dr. Ninel Alver is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, Türkiye, where she has been a faculty member since 2009. She received her BSc and MSc degrees in Civil Engineering from Ege University and her PhD from Kumamoto University, Japan, supported by the prestigious Monbukagakusho scholarship.
Following her doctoral studies, she worked as a Guest Scientist at Kumamoto University (Japan) and at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Germany, supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Prof. Dr. Alver is internationally recognized for her expertise in non‑destructive testing (NDT) of civil infrastructure. Her research focuses on multi‑scale NDT methods, structural health monitoring, and advanced numerical modeling for the assessment of concrete and structural systems. She has led and participated in numerous nationally and internationally funded research projects and has published extensively in high‑impact journals and conferences.
In addition, she has been selected as a Humboldt Ambassador Scientist, contributing to the promotion of international research collaboration and academic exchange.
Prof. Dr. Halit Özen is a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, at Istanbul Technical University. He specializes in transportation engineering, with academic and professional interests focusing on intelligent transportation systems, traffic control systems, transportation planning, dynamic traffic assignment, highway operations, pavement management, sustainable mobility, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure planning.
Prof. Dr. Özen has served as a researcher and visiting faculty member at Florida International University. He has been involved in numerous national and international research, planning, and consultancy projects. He has contributed as a researcher, model developer, and consultant to major studies including the Turkey Logistics Master Plan, metropolitan transportation master plans, sustainable and smart mobility strategies, and transportation roadmaps toward net-zero emission goals.
With numerous scientific publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals, Prof. Dr. Özen continues his academic work with a focus on making transportation systems safer, more efficient, environmentally friendly, and sustainable. Within the scope of the conference, he will share his knowledge and experience on innovative approaches in transportation systems, smart and sustainable mobility solutions, and the future of transportation planning.
4th Civil Engineering Symposium
99628, Famagusta, North Cyprus
via Mersin 10, Turkiye
