Introducing our new staff scientific member İhsan Bal

On November 1, Dr. İhsan Engin Bal was appointed as Professor by Special Appointment in “Digital Technologies in the Built Environment” at the Computational Mechanical and Materials Engineering (CMME)-group of ENTEG. In this role, he will lead efforts to promote interdisciplinary research bridging the built environment, computer sciences, and various engineering fields, while also contributing to relevant educational initiatives. Dr. Bal's primary research interests lie in structural engineering, the safety of existing structures, and the application of digital technologies for inspection, maintenance, and repair. He also specializes in structural health monitoring and earthquake engineering. His appointment, in collaboration with Hanze, aims to further strengthen research and educational ties between the two institutions.

Dr. Bal earned his MSc in earthquake engineering from Istanbul Technical University (Turkey) and completed his PhD in the same field at the University of Pavia (Italy) in 2008, focusing on earthquake risk estimation for large groups of buildings. He has played a significant role in addressing the Groningen earthquake challenges, serving in various capacities, including as a member and chair of several technical committees under the National Coordinator Groningen, and as a member of the Scientific Assurance Panel for Hazard and Risk Assessment on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK).

He is also the founding president of the Dutch Earthquake Engineering Association, a leading organization representing the Netherlands in earthquake engineering. Dr. Bal has published over 40 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has served as a Guest Editor for the Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering multiple times. Additionally, he has been a reviewer for top-tier journals in his field, an expert evaluator for the Italian Ministry of Research and Universities, and a member of several scientific committees.

Congratulations and welcome at ENTEG İhsan Bal!