Prof. Dr. Hakkı Polat Gülkan is a Professor at Başkent University's Civil Engineering Department. With a PhD (1971) and Master's (1968) from the University of Illinois in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor's (1966) from METU, his career spans over five decades in earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, and disaster management. PhD: University of Illinois, Civil Engineering (1971) Master's: University of Illinois, Civil Engineering (1968) Bachelor's: Middle East Technical University, Civil Engineering (1966) His research focuses on seismic risk assessment, structural behavior under extreme loads, and disaster mitigation strategies. Key contributions include earthquake simulator development, ground motion analysis, and retrofitting techniques for masonry and reinforced concrete structures. He has published extensively on deformation limits, response spectra, and historical building preservation. Recent work includes 15+ articles from 2024-2012 analyzing Istanbul's seismic hazards, Marmara region dynamics, and post-earthquake structural integrity. Conference papers address Turkey's endemic building vulnerabilities and deformation thresholds for seismic isolation systems. Scientific Achievements: Elected to U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2023) As an active journal reviewer for 13+ publications (2023-2024), he contributes to advancing earthquake engineering discourse. His teaching portfolio includes advanced structural analysis, concrete mechanics, and seismic design courses.







