Bora Gencturk, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, a professor in the Sonny Astani Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and the Founding Director of Structures and Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Southern California. He obtained his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his B.S. degree from Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey). Throughout his career, Gencturk has made sustained and influential contributions to advancing high-performance materials for civil infrastructure, translating research discoveries into engineering practice and design standards, and cultivating the next generation of engineers through teaching, mentorship, and service.
Gencturk’s research centers on enhancing the durability and resilience of reinforced concrete structures through the development and implementation of advanced cementitious and composite materials. By integrating materials science with structural engineering, he has established a framework that links micro-scale material degradation to macro-scale structural response under extreme events such as earthquakes, blasts, and impacts. This interdisciplinary approach has advanced both fundamental understanding and practical application of innovative materials—including ultra-high-performance concretes and shape-memory alloys—enabling the design of infrastructure systems that are more sustainable and resilient to deterioration.
As founding director of SMRL at USC, an ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited facility, Gencturk built one of the nation’s few accredited university laboratories capable of large-scale testing of advanced materials and structural systems under realistic loading conditions. Under his leadership, SMRL has supported more than 25 industry collaborations totaling over $2 million, facilitating direct transfer of research innovations into engineering practice. His broader research program, supported by nearly $15 million in competitive funding from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and other agencies, has produced over 200 publications, including more than 110 refereed journal articles and two provisional U.S. patents. His work has received over 4,000 citations (h-index 30), and in 2025 he was recognized among the world’s top 2% of scientists by Stanford University and Elsevier.
Gencturk’s impact as an educator and mentor is equally significant. He has taught 25 distinct courses spanning concrete structures, earthquake engineering, and mechanics of materials, reaching more than 500 students. He has directly supervised over 80 researchers, including postdoctoral scholars and graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom now hold academic, research, and professional positions across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Numerous undergraduate mentees have received institutional and national recognition for their research achievements.
In service to the profession and society, Gencturk plays a leading role in translating research into standards and policy. He currently chairs the ICC ANSI Consensus Committee 1150, developing the world’s first design standard for 3D-printed concrete construction, now under review for adoption into the International Building Code. He also serves on a National Academy of Engineering committee advising the U.S. Congress on innovative materials for water resources infrastructure. Through leadership in professional societies and sustained STEM outreach, Gencturk continues to advance engineering practice while inspiring future generations.
