Ugur Ersoy
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 1965
M.S., University of Texas at Austin, 1956
B.S., Robert College of Istanbul, 1955
Ugor Ersoy is a leader in the development of earthquake engineering in Turkey. He has been involved in the post-earthquake investigations following devastating events in his home country and organized research efforts that led to improvement in design codes and building construction procedures. He was also instrumental in the development of Middle East Technical University (METU) as a world-renowned institution of higher education and research, and helped assemble a distinguished structural engineering faculty.
Supervised and mentored by Dr. Phil Ferguson, Ersoy received a Master’s and Ph.D. at The University of Texas at Austin. His recollections of his early days as a researcher and teacher always go back to things he learned at UT and from Professor Ferguson. In fact, it was Ferguson who insisted that he become a member of the American Concrete Institute and also helped him with his first engineering job at the design office of Raymond C. Reese and Associates in Toledo, Ohio.
Two years later he returned to Turkey and in 1959, Ersoy joined the faculty at the new METU, where he founded the first structural research laboratory and initiated experimental research in structural engineering in Turkey. At the unversity, he served in numerous administrative roles including Assistant President, Dean and Department Chair at METU. Throughout the years, he also taught nearly 5,000 civil engineering graduates.
Ersoy has been involved in experimental research on the behavior of reinforced and precast concrete structures, concentrating on seismic behavior and rehabilitation. He and his team have developed techniques for repair and strengthening of seismically deficient buildings by using concrete infilled frames. The outcome of these research projects have been used in the rehabilitation of hundreds of earthquake-damaged buildings in Turkey.
In addition, he has published over 150 books on reinforced concrete and structural mechanics as well as six short story books; two of which were best sellers. He received the Wason Research Medal from the American Concrete Institute and the Science Award from Parlar Foundation.
Ersoy has contributed to the progress of the structural and seismic engineering practice and education in Turkey and to the development of Turkish and European Reinforced Concrete and Seismic Design Codes.
