Biography of the Principal Investigator


Dr. Tuncay Yalçınkaya
Associate Professor
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Middle East Technical University (METU)
06800, Ankara, TÜRKİYE
: (+90-312) 210-4258
: (+90-312) 210-4250
: yalcinka@metu.edu.tr

I earned my BSc degree in Aerospace Engineering from Middle East Technical University in 2003. Subsequently, I attended the COMMAS (Computational Mechanics of Materials and Structures) course at the University of Stuttgart, where I obtained my MSc degree in Computational Mechanics in 2005 under the supervision of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Miehe. Following this, I served as a PhD researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, where I completed my PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2011 under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Marc Geers. Following a postdoctoral grant at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre from 2010-2013, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford and as a Lecturer at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University, from 2013-2015. Since 2015, I have held the position of Lecturer, initially starting as an Assistant Professor and later promoted to Associate Professor, at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to visit esteemed institutions such as Monash University in Australia (2017), Doshisha University in Japan (2018), Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany (2019), and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (2020). I am actively engaged in professional organizations, being a member of EERA (European Energy Research Alliance), JPNM (Joint Program of Nuclear Materials), and ESIS (European Structural Integrity Society). Furthermore, I proudly serve as the national representative of Türkiye in ESIS.

Education

  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands 2011
  • M. Sc., Computational Mechanics, University of Stuttgart, Germany 2005
  • B. Sc., Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye 2003

Experience

  • Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye, September 2019 - Present
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye, February 2015 - September 2019
  • Coordinator, Aerospace Engineering Program, Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus, Kalkanli, NC, October 2017 - July 2018
  • Vice-Chair, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye, December 2015 - July 2018
  • Lecturer in Engineering, St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 2014
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, Oxford, UK 2013-2014 (with Professor Alan Cocks)
  • Postdoctoral (Grantholder) Researcher, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy and Transport, Safety of Future Nuclear Reactors Unit, Petten, The Netherlands 2010-2013 (with Dr. Karl-Fredrik Nilsson.)
  • PhD Researcher, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands 2005-2010 (Advisor: Professor Marc Geers)
  • Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Stuttgart, Germany 2003-2005 (Advisor: Professor Christian Miehe)
  • Intern, ASELSAN Ankara, Türkiye 2002 Summer
  • Intern, First Air Supply and Maintenance Center, Eskisehir, Türkiye 2001 Summer

Visiting Positions

  • Visiting Associate Professor, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Freiberg, Singapore, January 2020
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Chair of Micromechanical Materials Modelling, The Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany, July 2019
  • Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Materials and System Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, July 2018
  • Visiting Research Scientist, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, July 2017

Professional Activities

Administrative Activities

  • Program Coordinator, Aerospace Engineering Program, Middle East Technical University North Cyprus Campus, Kalkanli, North Cyprus, October 2017-July 2018
  • Vice-Chair, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye, December 2015-August 2018, Responsibilities: Graduate Studies, Procurement operations, Infrastructure
  • Erasmus Coordinator, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye, December 2015-October 2017 and January 2022 - Present

Other Synergistic Activities

  • Referee for following international journals:
    • AIP Conference Proceedings
    • Archive of Applied Mechanics
    • Archives of Mechanics
    • Computational Materials Science
    • Crystals
    • Engineering Fracture Mechanics
    • European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids
    • Frattura ed Integrita Strutturale
    • GAMM Mitteilungen
    • International Journal of Engineering Science
    • International Journal of Fatigue
    • International Journal of Material Forming
    • International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
    • International Journal of Plasticity
    • International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping
    • International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management
    • Journal of Aeronautics and Space Technologies
    • Journal of Materials Processing Technology
    • Journal of Structural Engineering
    • Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids
    • Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering
    • Key Engineering Materials
    • Materials Research Express
    • Materials Science and Engineering A
    • Meccanica
    • Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures
    • Mechanics of Materials
    • Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering
    • Nanotechnology
    • Results in Engineering
    • Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods
    • The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology
    • The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design
    • Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics
  • Referee for following national journals:
    • Celal Bayar University Journal of Science
    • Journal of Aeronautics and Space Technologies
  • Editorial:
    • International Advisory Committee Mermber of International Journal of Material Forming (Springer), (24/01/2021 - Present)
    • Editorial Board Mermber of Computer Methods in Materials Science, (16/11/2020 - Present)
    • Editorial Board Mermber of ESIS Publishing House (ESIS - PH), (04/01/2020 - Present)
    • Regional Editorial Board Mermber of Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale (Fracture and Structural Integrity), (01/11/2019 - Present)
    • Special issue editor of Procedia Structure Integrity, Issue: 1st International Workshop on Plasticity, Damage and Fracture of Engineering Materials, IWPDF 2019, 22-23 August 2019, Ankara, Türkiye

Awards/Grants

  • ESAFORM Scientific Prize 2014
  • Marie Curie Fellowship (Co-Funded Brain Circulation) - EC-FP7 Marie Curie Action, 2013-2015
  • Scholar of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) during the whole study at University of Stuttgart 2003-2005
  • Scholar of TEV (Turkish Education Association) during whole study in METU, Ankara 1998-2003

Projects

  • Coordination of the European Nuclear Materials Community for Energy Innovation (CONNECT-NM), HORIZON-EURATOM Project, 2024 - 2028, 43 European Partners.
  • European Materials Acceleration Center for Energy (EU-MACE), CA22123, 2023 - 2027, Management Committee member, and WG2, WG4, WG5 member.
  • Agricultural Revitalization in Higher Education Institutions of Asian Countries, ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE, 2023 - 2026.
  • Multiscale Modelling for Fusion and Fission Materials, H2020 (EUATOM) Project, 2017 - 2021, PI, WP3 (Deformation mechanisms at the grain scale in F/M steels) and WP4 (Channelling at the polycrystal scale in F/M steels), 20 European Partners, Completed.
  • SLIPLOC: SLIP LOCalization in irradiated steels and consequences on mechanical damage, EERA Pilot Project, 2016 - 2020, WP3 (Polycrystal simulations and experimental validation) leader, 10 European Partners (CEA, SCK-CEN, PSI, METU, CIEMAT, JRC-IET, CNRS/GPM-CNRS/CEMHTI, UPC, UA, IMDEA), Completed.
  • Modelling of damage initiation and fracture propagation in ductile materials through micromechanically consistent porous plasticity and cohesive zone modeling approaches (Sünek malzemelerde hasar başlangıcı ve kırılma ilerlemesinin mikromekanik olarak tutarlı porlu plastisite ve kohezif alan teknikleri ile modellenmesi), 117M106, TÜBİTAK 3501, 2017 - 2020, PI, Completed.
  • Strain gradient crystal plasticity modeling of polycrystal metals (Çok taneli metallerin gerinim gradyan kristal plastisite yöntemi ile modellenmesi), 215M381, TÜBİTAK 3001, 2016 - 2017, PI, Completed.
  • Micromechanical modelling of size dependent plasticity behavior in polycrystalline materials (Çok taneli metallerde buyukluge bagli plastisite davranisinin mikromekanik modellenmesi), BAP-08-11-2016-031, ODTU BAP (METU Scientific Research Project), 2016-2017, PI, Completed.
  • Plastic microstructure evolution in metallic materials, Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, (COFUND), 2013 - 2015, PI, Completed.

Memberships

  • EERA - European Energy Research Alliance
  • ESIS - European Structural Integrity Society
  • ESIS National Group Responsible/Chairman for Türkiye
  • ICF - International Congress on Fracture

Supervised Theses