Zafer Gürdal

Zafer Gürdal is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina. His research focuses on structural and multidisciplinary design optimization, composite materials, and computational methods with manufacturing applications.

Gürdal has secured funding from NASA Langley Research Center, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and EU Framework programs. He maintains extensive industry collaborations with aerospace and automotive companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, and Rolls Royce. As graduate advisor, he has supervised over 60 master's and 30 doctoral students.