• Home
  • Job Announcements
• The Academy
  • About
  • Diplomates
  • CEC
  • Related organizations
  • Sponsorship
• Requirements
• Application
• Certification FAQs
• News Room
  • Interviews
• Renewal
• Continuing Ed
• Contact

Interview with Berrin Tansel, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, D.WRE, F.ASCE

July 2009

Dr. Berrin Tansel is a professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and Director of Center for Diversity in Engineering and Computing at Florida International University. Her research at Kennedy Space Center on development of a closed loop water recovery and recycling system was recognized as one of the Highlighted Research Projects that Benefit the NASA-KSC and Nation through the Vision of Space.

Dr. Tansel is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and elected Diplomate of American Academy of Water Resources Engineers since April 2007. She was named Engineer of the Year by the Miami-Dade Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2007.

Professor Tansel answered some questions we had for her recently in an online interview:

Can you share with us on where you grew up?

BT: I grew up in Izmit which is a small town about 50 miles east of Istanbul in Turkey. Now it is a very industrialized city.

What was it like for you growing up there?

BT: Izmit was a very small and quiet town when I was growing up. It had one middle school and one high school both of which were in the same building. I am the youngest of six children in my family. I spent a lot of time outdoors; climbing trees and picking fruits. My father owned a store in the market where he sold anything you can imagine from small appliances to spices. I worked at my father's store during the summers. There was no telephone in our house. Being the youngest, most of the time I ended up with the task of running between the house and my father's store, about two miles each way, to carry messages and groceries back and forth.

When did you know and why did you decide to study environmental and civil engineering?

BT: I decided to study environmental engineering when I was a senior in college. It was a new area of engineering at the time. Fulbright offered a scholarship and I applied for it.

What was it like to attend Middle East University in Ankara, Turkey and then relocating to Madison, Wisconsin for your graduate and doctoral studies?

BT: When I came to Madison, I did not know that Wisconsin was a farming state. I had presumed that in the U.S. every city would have sky scrapers and Broadway style shows. I had only $75 when I arrived. The foreign student office gave me a loan to rent an apartment. Madison is a great place to go to school. People are very helpful and friendly. There were a lot of foreign students and they had a system for helping new students adjust.

Which would you say, you had the most fun times or found most enjoyable? During your undergraduate studies, graduate, or doctoral research?

BT: I enjoyed the time I spent in Wisconsin, especially the first two years during the MS program. In Madison, graduate students work hard but also know how to enjoy the outdoors.

It seems that you are well-traveled. Which city(s) or places are some of your favorite places you visited?

BT: I like Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. I feel that I have not yet visited some of the most fascinating places in the world. I am most curious about Japan and Indonesia.

Which fond memories will you have of this place(s) and any particular moments that have really stayed with you or stand out?

BT: Washington D.C. is impressive from many aspects historically and culturally. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to stay in Washington D.C. for several weeks and had a chance to explore the city. I am amazed how such simple beginnings created the United States of America and what has been accomplished in such a short time.

You are one of the founding D.WREs of AAWRE- what types of services or efforts would you like to see AAWRE pursue or do you envision?

BT: I would like to see the members communicating, perhaps in small groups with certain specialties or interests. I always enjoy the small group meetings and discussions during the ethics training which allows the members to have discussions and share experiences.

Why did you want to become a D.WRE- for you personally?

BT: I came to academia from the industry. I enjoy keeping in touch with the colleagues in the industry. The AAWRE provides opportunities for interactions between different groups of practitioners. The people I have met since becoming a D. WRE have been active in developing long term vision to tackle important issues. The AAWRE provides a forum for me to approach people to seek advice. I have approached a number of people from the AAWRE roster and asked their opinion or invited them to be a speaker at an event.

We know that you have been actively involved in committee and volunteer work on Water Environment Federation, American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental & Water Resources Institute, and the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions. Are you still actively involved with these committees and would you be interested in serving on a future AAWRE committee?

BT: I have benefitted from belonging to professional societies both personally and professionally. The professional societies can make a difference in improving the quality of practice for this generation, guiding the next generation, and raising awareness of important issues that need to be tackled now and in the future. Working on committees allowed me to understand different perspectives, provided exposure to new techniques, and allowed me to see the larger picture. I feel that I take more in return from being involved in the volunteer activities relative to the time I put in. I look forward to the opportunities to serve on a future AAWRE committee.

Which aspect of the profession, would you say you enjoy most if you could only choose one: teaching, research, consulting, or writing? And why?

BT: I enjoy working with people and seeing projects completed. Being a faculty member allows me some flexibility and fluidity in my work. I enjoy research and creating new knowledge. I also like teaching as it allows me to learn. No matter how many times I have taught a course, each time I learn a new aspect of a design approach, a new application or a new skill.

What do you enjoy most about being a professor and teaching environmental and civil engineering to your students?

BT: The profession is constantly changing. We are fortunate to be living at a time where we have experienced the inflection point on the time line of what you can do versus what you know. This allows us to be pioneers for developing new ways of using engineering by bridging the technology and people's needs. Now, we can conduct research and visualize outcomes at rates and dimensions which allowed engineering to reach a new intelligence level. I find this fascinating.

Can you share with us on your favorite hobbies or interests?

BT: I enjoy sewing and gardening, both of which require patience and vary calming.

What would you like to see yourself doing, 5 years from now?

BT: I enjoy making a difference in my community. I am hoping that I will be in a position to lead by influencing people to reach their potential.

American Academy of Water Resources Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA
Phone:703-295-6414 Fax:703-295-6415
E-mail:certification@aawre.org

AAWRE Privacy Statement