Mustafa Kerem Kockar | Statistical Applications in Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Statistics

Assoc Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kerem Kockar | Statistical Applications in Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Hacettepe University | Turkey

Assoc Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kerem Kockar is a Turkish engineering geologist and geotechnical expert currently serving in the Department of Civil Engineering at Hacettepe University, Ankara. He holds a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Geological Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU), where his research focused on engineering geological and geotechnical site characterization of Upper Pliocene and Quaternary deposits west of Ankara. He has also conducted research at The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. His key research interests include engineering geology, rock and soil mechanics-particularly tunnelling, dam sites, slopes, and landslides-in-situ geotechnical and seismic site characterization, dynamic and static numerical modelling of geotechnical problems, environmental geotechnology, and engineering seismology with an emphasis on ground-motion amplification, attenuation modelling, earthquake hazard assessment, and enhanced geothermal systems involving hydraulic fracturing and micro-seismic monitoring. He has authored or co-authored 47 documents and has received 650 citations with an h-index of 17, reflecting his strong contribution to the field. He has supervised several postgraduate theses on landslide monitoring, slope stability, fibre-optic methods for early warning, and solar farm foundation design. His professional experience includes academic and research roles at METU, UT Austin, Texas A&M, Gazi University’s Earthquake Engineering Research Center, and Hacettepe University. He also contributes to Turkey’s national seismology and earth-interior advisory commission under the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and has provided expert consultancy on major infrastructure projects such as the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and slope-erosion surveys, showcasing his interdisciplinary expertise in geotechnical fieldwork, seismic hazard analysis, and numerical modelling.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Oner, G., Akgun, H., Koçkar, M. K., & Arslan Kelam, A. (2025). Municipal landfill site selection using TOPSIS methodology: A case study for Polatlı, Ankara, Türkiye. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 84(3), 126.

Arslan Kelam, A., Akgun, H., Bobet, A., & Kockar, M. K. (2025). Assessment of complex rock slope instabilities in Mudurnu, Turkey, through kinematic and dynamic analyses: A case study. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 58(2), 2223–2242.

cınar, Ö. F., Aldemir, A., Zervent, A., Yücel, O. B., Erberik, M. A., Anıl, O., & Koçkar, M. K. (2024). Fundamental period estimation of RC buildings by considering structural and non-structural damage distributions through neural network. Neural Computing and Applications, 36(3), 1329–1350.

Askan, A., Altindal, A., Aydin, M. F., Erberik, M. A., Koçkar, M. K., Tun, M., et al. (2025). Assessment of urban seismic resilience of a town in Eastern Türkiye: Turkoglu, Kahramanmaras before and after 6 February 2023 M 7.8 Kahramanmaras earthquake. Earthquake Spectra, 41(1), 146–175.

Sahin, G., Okalp, K., Koçkar, M. K., Yilmaz, M. T., Jalehforouzan, A., Temiz, F. A., et al. (2024). Development of a GIS-based predicted map of Türkiye using geological and topographical parameters: Case study for the region affected by the 6 February 2023 earthquakes. Seismological Research Letters, 95(4), 2044–2057.

Nitendra Palankar | Statistical Applications in Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Statistics

Dr. Nitendra Palankar | Statistical Applications in Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Don Bosco College of Engineering | India

Dr. Nitendra Palankar is a seasoned academic and researcher specializing in Transportation Engineering and Concrete Technology, with over 12 years of experience in the field. He currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, Belagavi, Karnataka, India. Dr. Palankar completed his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering) from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, in July 2016, following an M.Tech. in the same discipline from NITK in 2012. His doctoral research focused on the “Performance of Alkali Activated Concrete Mixes with Steel Slag as Coarse Aggregate for Rigid Pavements,” under the guidance of Prof. A.U. Ravishankar. He has been actively involved in teaching for over six years and has contributed significantly to the academic community through various roles, including serving as an editorial member for the American Journal of Construction and Building Materials and as a reviewer for several reputed journals and conferences. Dr. Palankar has also been a registered research guide at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, currently supervising two research scholars. His research interests encompass sustainable construction materials, particularly the use of industrial by-products in concrete, and the development of eco-friendly pavement technologies. He has authored numerous publications in high-impact journals, including the Journal of Cleaner Production and the International Journal of Pavement Engineering. Dr. Palankar holds an h-index of 6, with 484 citations. His work has garnered recognition for its contribution to sustainable civil engineering practices, particularly in the context of utilizing industrial waste materials for pavement construction. Through his extensive research and academic endeavors, Dr. Palankar continues to advance the field of transportation engineering, focusing on innovative and sustainable solutions for infrastructure development.

Featured Publications

“Studies on Self-Healing Properties of Glass Fibre Reinforced Bituminous Concrete Mixes”

“Development of regression model for strength prediction of Eco-Friendly alkali activated dry lean concrete for pavements”

“Investigations on performance of alkali activated mortar mixes containing red mud and aluminum dross”

“Performance of Alkali-Activated Mortar Mixes Containing Industrial Waste Materials as Binders”

“A study on the effect of rejuvenators in reclaimed asphalt pavement based stone mastic asphalt mixes”