Burcu Akinci Among CMU Faculty Elected as AAAS Fellow

Metro21 faculty member Burcu Akinci, along with 3 other Carnegie Mellon University faculty members, has been named as a 2022 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Burcu has been recognized for distinguished contributions to data and model-driven construction and infrastructure management, which is done through the generation and utilization of digital twins for proactive and predictive decision-making. She is the head and a professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her lab is creating new models and tools to modernize construction and infrastructure management.

Burcu 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.

Burcu is an outstanding leader and researcher who draws on her previous experience in roles including associate dean for research of the College of Engineering, co-chair of civil engineering'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.

Read about all of the 2022 fellows here.