Akinci appointed Dean of College of Engineering
Burcu Akinci has been appointed the next Dean of CMU’s College of Engineering, effective January 1, 2026.
Burcu Akinci, head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has been appointed the next Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, effective January 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 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, and a new interdisciplinary master’s degree in the emerging field of civil and computer engineering.
Akinci, shown here with undergraduate civil and environmental engineering students, started her career at CMU in 2000.
Akinci’s research expertise lies at the intersection of computing and infrastructure management, employing data-capture and sensing technologies, 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 more than 190 peer-reviewed papers, is an inventor on multiple patents, and co-founded a start-up 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 Jim Garrett 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 in January 2026.