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Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty

Dr. Idil Deniz Akin

Assistant Professor

Colf Distinguished Professor in Geotechnical Engineering

Office:

Sloan 41

Phone:

(509) 335-0568

Fax:

(509) 335-7632

Email:

idil.akin@wsu.edu

 

 

Education

  • PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2017- University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • MS, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2014- University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • BS, Civil Engineering, 2012- Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Professional Experience

  • Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, Washington State University, 2017
  • Teaching Assistant, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013, 2016
  • Research Assistant, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2012 – 2017

Awards

  • 2018 ASCE ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) Teaching Fellow
  • Norman H. Severson Geotechnical Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017
  • Named as a ‘Rising Star’ by MIT Dept. of Civil Engineering, 2017
  • Geotechnical Frontiers Student Travel Grant Award, 2017
  • NSF Travel Award to participate in the EMI Conference, 2015
  • The Clay Minerals Society Meeting Student Travel Grant Award, 2014
  • GeoCongress Student Travel Grant Award, 2014
  • High Honor Graduate, Middle East Technical University, 2012

Research Interests

  • Unsaturated soil mechanics
  • Laboratory characterization of mechanical, hydraulic, and physicochemical behavior of soils
  • Expansive clay behavior and geosynthetic clay liners
  • Landslides
  • Bio-geotechnics

Teaching

  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Soil and Site Improvement
  • Foundations
  • Unsaturated Soil Mechanics

Publications

Journal publications

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2017, “Implications of Surface Hydration and Capillary Condensation to Strength and Stiffness of Compacted Clay,” Journal of Engineering Mechanics, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001265.

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2017, “Brazilian Tensile Strength Testing of Compacted Clay,” Geotechnical Testing Journal, doi: 10.1520/GTJ20160180.

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2016, “Single-Point and Multi-Point Water-Sorption Methods for Specific Surface Areas of Clay,” Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol. 39 (2): 291-300.

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2016, “Evaluation of Isotherm Models for Water Vapor Sorption Behavior of Expansive Clays,” Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000899.

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2014, “Specific Surface Area of Clay Using Water Vapor and EGME Sorption Methods,” Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol.37 (6): 1-12.

Khorshidi, M., Lu, N., Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2016, “Intrinsic Relation between Specific Surface Area and Soil Water Retention,” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001572.

Conference publications

Akin, I.D., Chen, J., Benson, C.H., and Likos, W.J., 2018, “Evaluation of water vapor sorption and electrical conductivity methods to determine bentonite content of a soil-bentonite barrier,” IFCEE 2018.

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2017, “Tensile Strength and Stiffness of Compacted Clay between Residual Saturation and Air-Entry,” Geotechnical Frontiers 2017.

Akin, I.D., Chen, J., Likos, W.J., and Benson, C.H., 2017, “Water Vapor Sorption of Bentonite-Polymer Mixtures Contracted with Aggressive Leachates,” Geotechnical Frontiers 2017.

Akin, I.D., and Likos, W.J., 2016, “Water Vapor Sorption of Polymer-Modified Bentonites”, Geo-Chicago 2016.

Non-refereed publications

Likos, W.J., and Akin, I.D., 2016, “Transitions in Unsaturated Soil Mechanics,” National Science Foundation Workshop on Geotechnical Fundamentals in the Face of New World Challenges