Akinci Appointed Dean of College of Engineering
Burcu Akinci(opens in new window), head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has been appointed as the next dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
A member of the CMU community for nearly 25 years, Akinci is an exceptional leader who brings the strategic vision, research impact and collaborative spirit necessary to lead the College of Engineering. Akinci served as associate dean for research for six years, driving institutional-level growth by helping to establish the moonshot initiative to cultivate large-scale research centers, developing the college's strategic research direction and increasing the value of new research awards.
As department head, Akinci fostered a culture of collaboration among students, faculty, staff, alumni and external partners, encouraging shared learning and the open exchange of ideas across all levels of the department. Through initiatives such as the alumni-to-student and Ph.D.-to-Ph.D. mentorship programs, as well as the Industry Partnership program(opens in new window) that connects students directly to opportunities at more than 20 leading engineering firms, she helped drive innovation by creating pipelines for meaningful engagement.
Under her leadership, the department also expanded its graduate offerings, including CEE’s first online certificate program, AI Engineering — Digital Twins & Analytics(opens in new window), and a new interdisciplinary master’s degree in the emerging field of civil and computer engineering(opens in new window).
Akinci’s research expertise lies at the intersection of computing and infrastructure management, applying data capture, sensing technologies and digital twin models to cutting-edge work making the built environment, facility operations and construction projects smarter, safer and more sustainable. In pioneering this nascent field, she has published over 190 peer-reviewed papers, is an inventor on multiple patents and co-founded a startup company.
A member of the National Academy of Construction, distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Akinci was also named a University Professor in 2023, the highest rank of distinction for faculty at Carnegie Mellon.
Akinci began as a faculty member at CMU in 2000. She received her bachelor's degree from Middle East Technical University, her MBA from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and her master's and doctoral degrees from Stanford University.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer James H. Garrett Jr(opens in new window). extended his appreciation to the search committee, including co-chairs Shelley Anna and José Moura, as well as Vijayakumar Bhagavatula, who has served as interim dean since June 2025 and will remain until Akinci’s tenure begins.
