Berrin Tansel, Ph.D., professor in FIU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named a distinguished member by the American Society of Civil Engineers as part of its 2026 class.
This prestigious recognition honors leaders whose work has made a lasting impact on the civil engineering profession. Tansel was recognized for her leadership and research in water conservation, coastal water quality, and concentrate management, along with contributions that advance environmental engineering and water resource management.
Her work spans water quality management, advanced treatment processes, infrastructure resilience, water reuse, desalination, and sustainable urban water systems. Through research, education, and industry collaboration, she has helped shape practices that improve water sustainability and efficiency.
Tansel’s impact extends beyond research. She has played an active role in engineering accreditation through ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology, and has led initiatives that expand access to STEM education, including partnerships with local agencies and programs supporting underrepresented students.
Her collaboration with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department has contributed to improved water use efficiency and conservation strategies with measurable community impact.
A widely recognized leader in environmental and water resources engineering, Tansel has authored more than 200 publications and six books. Her work has also contributed to the development of water recovery technologies with applications in both space exploration and sustainability efforts on Earth.
She will be honored at the ASCE OPAL Gala in October in Reston, Virginia.