Two CEE Professors Elected as 2022 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Two CEE faculty members have been elected 2022 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Burcu Akinci and Jeanne VanBreisen are among the 508 scientists, engineers, and innovators who have been recognized for their distinguished achievements by the world’s largest scientific society.
Burcu Akinci
Akinci has been recognized for distinguished contributions to data and model-driven construction and infrastructure management, through the generation and utilization of digital twins for proactive and predictive decision-making. She is the Paul Christiano Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Carnegie Mellon University. Her lab is creating new models and tools to modernize construction and infrastructure management.
Akinci researches the utilization and integration of building information models with data capture technologies, like 3D imaging and embedded sensors, to create digital twins of construction projects and infrastructure operations, and to develop approaches that support proactive and predictive operations and management. Akinci is also part of a team working on NASA’s Habitats Optimized for Missions of Exploration (HOME) project, where they’re helping to create a smart habitat that can process its own data and pass recommendations on to robotic systems or astronauts. Akinci is an outstanding leader and researcher who draws on her previous experience in roles including associate dean for research of the College, co-chair of CEE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and founding chair of the ASCE Taskforce on Fostering Inclusive Academic Communities. Elected in 2021, she currently serves on the National Academy’s board on infrastructure and the Connected Environment.
Jeanne VanBriesen
VanBriesen has been recognized for outstanding contributions to the field of environmental engineering, particularly in modeling biodegradation of chemical mixtures and assessing the role of energy systems on drinking water. VanBriesen is the Duquesne Light Company Professor in the Departments of CEE and the Department of Engineering & Public Policy (EPP). She is currently serving at the U.S. National Science Foundation as the director of the Division for Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) within the Engineering Directorate. Her research is in environmental systems, including urban water system sustainability and the built environment water cycle, and the energy-water nexus and watershed decision making.
VanBriesen has received numerous awards and her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Colcom Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, the Packard Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance. She has served on the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board and the National Science Foundation Engineering Directorate Advisory Committee. She has been an officer of the Association for Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences (CUAHSI) and the Ohio River Basin Consortia for Research and Education.
A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor. The newly elected AAAS Fellows will be honored for their achievements this spring at a celebration in Washington D.C.