ITU Honorary Doctorate Ceremony: Prof. Dr. Ali Erdemir

Istanbul Technical University awarded an honorary doctorate to Prof. Dr. Ali Erdemir, who graduated from the Department of Metalurgical Engineering from ITU in 1977. The ceremony took place at the ITU Ayazağa Campus, in Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center, on March 13, 2024.

After the honorary doctorate certificate was presented by our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu, Prof. Dr. Erdemir delivered a speech titled “The Role of ITU in Engineering Sciences: A Hub of Knowledge and Creativity”. In his speech, he shared his experiences and memories from his academic journey with the audience. Prof. Dr. Erdemir stated, “I have never severed my strong connection with ITU. I believe this institution has a spirit that binds us together. An ITU diploma is an honor to be carried for a lifetime, and I am experiencing this honor once again after many years”.

Who is Prof. Dr. Ali Erdemir?

Born in 1954 in Osmaniye, Prof. Dr. Ali Erdemir graduated in 1977 from the Istanbul Technical University, Metallurgical Engineering Department. After completing his postgraduate education in materials science and engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), he returned to Turkey. After a short period, he went back to USA for his postdoctoral education and started working at the Argonne National Laboratory. During his laboratory work, he became the first scientist in the laboratory's history to win the R&D-100 award 6 times for his inventions.

Due to his outstanding achievements, in 2020, Texas A&M University awarded him a special status and research fund, and he continued his academic career as a TEES Eminent and Halliburton Chair professor. He has more than 300 articles published in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of materials science, mechanical engineering, tribology, energy, and the environment. These articles, besides being of referential quality, have received over 30,000 citations in total. Additionally, he has 36 patents from the United States Patent Office."