Başak Aldemir Bektaş

About Başak

Dr. Bektaş is an associate scientist at the Center for Transportation Research and Education. She serves InTrans as its resident statistical expert, applying statistical methods and data mining to a variety of transportation problems. With an interdisciplinary background and master’s degree in industrial engineering with a focus on systems management, her research experience covers infrastructure asset management with a focus on bridges, pavement and pavement markings, performance measurement, risk and reliability analysis, engineering economic analysis, and transportation safety.

Dr. Bektaş has served as the principal investigator on projects that address bridge management data and tools with the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Iowa and Minnesota DOTs. She chairs the Transportation Research Board’s AHD35 Bridge Management Committee and International Road Federation’s Asset Management Committee. She is a founding member of the AHD37 Bridge Preservation Committee and a member of the AASHTOWare Bridge Management Software Technical Review Team.

Resume

Education

PhD, Transportation Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2011
MS, Industrial Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 2006
BS, Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 2002

Professional Experience

Associate Scientist, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2012–present
Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2010-2012
Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Transportation Research and Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2006-2010

Selected Research Projects

Principal Investigator, Protocols for Concrete Bridge Deck Protections and Treatments, WisDOT, Started in October 2017
Principal Investigator, NCHRP 20-07/Task 397 Characteristics of Decommissioned Bridges, February 2017–present
Co-Principal Investigator, Assessing Bridge Characteristics for Use and Importance as Roosting Habitat for Bats, Iowa DOT, February 2015–present
Principal Investigator AASHTOWare BrM Implementation and Operation, Iowa DOT, 2016–present, Co-Principal Investigator, 2011–2014
Principal Investigator at ISU, Freight Commodity Efficiency Study Plan, Bi-State Regional Commission, Illinois DOT, subcontracted to Cambridge Systematics, June 2014–present
Principal Investigator, Risk-Based Bridge Management: A Methodology to Assess and Incorporate Risk in Decision Making, USDOT (MTC), July 2014–present
Co-Principal Investigator,Technical Analysis to Support the Bridge Condition Performance Measure, FHWA, September 2014-present
Principal Investigator, Next Generation Bridge Management Tools and Inspection, MnDOT, July 2013–present
SHRP 2 S04(A) Roadway Information Database Development and Technical Coordination and Quality Assurance of the Mobile Data Collection Project (S04B)
Asset Management and Safety: A Performance Perspective, Iowa DOT, Iowa Highway Research Board and MTC
Developing a Laboratory Test for Determining the Initial Retroreflectivity Level of Glass Beads in Pavement, NCHRP
Pavement Markings and Safety, Iowa Highway Research Board and Iowa Department of Transportation
Wet Reflective Pavement Marking Demonstration, Iowa DOT and Iowa Highway Research Board

Selected Publications

Professional Affiliations, Honors and Service

Chair, TRB Committee on Bridge Management, AHD35 (since April 2017, member since 2009)
Chair, IRF Asset Management Committee (since January 2017)
Member and Communications Coordinator, TRB Committee on Bridge Preservation, AHD37, 2014-present
Friend, TRB Committee on Asset Management, ABC40
Friend, TRB Committee on Structures Maintenance, AHD 30, 2010-presen