Yelda Turkan

Dr. Yelda Turkan is an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Oregon State University and a Hans Fischer Fellow at the Technical University of Munich (TUM-IAS). Her research focuses on leveraging computer vision, machine learning, and digital twins to enhance sustainability and resilience in the built environment. She holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and dual B.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering and Geomatics Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, alongside an M.Sc. in Remote Sensing.

Her work integrates advanced technologies like LiDAR and BIM to improve construction monitoring, structural safety, and fire protection. She has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and secured $4.5M in grants from agencies like the NSF. Dr. Turkan serves as Vice President of the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction and chairs the ASCE Computing Division Executive Committee.

Her research spans digital twins for infrastructure performance, fire safety simulations, and automated progress tracking. Key contributions include frameworks for bridge construction monitoring, fire safety management in timber structures, and BIM-based energy fault detection. Awards include the Robert C. Wilson Faculty Scholar (2023–2025) and ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Fellow (2015).