Nefise Akçelik (b. 1955, Muratlı - d. 5 October 2003) was a Turkish

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

who specialised in building tunnels. The

Ordu Nefise Akçelik Tunnel Ordu Nefise Akçelik Tunnel ( tr, Ordu Nefise Akçelik Tüneli), originally Hapan Tunnel, ( tr, Hapan Tüneli) is a highway tunnel constructed in Ordu Province, northern Turkey. With its length of , it was the country's longest tunnel at the tim ...

is named in her honour.

Early life and education

Akçelik was born in the Muratlı district of Tekirdağ in Turkey in 1955. She completed her secondary education at Erenköy Kız Lisesi’ the Erenköy Girls' High School in Istanbul. Age 16, Akçelik enrolled in the civil engineering department of Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi (KTÜ) where she was the only female student in her department. Akçelik graduated from university in 1976 at the age of 20, having learned English and French as well as civil engineering. In 1989, Akçelik earned a master's degree from the Department of Geotechnics in the Institute of Science at Gazi University in Ankara and received the title of technical chief.

Career

In 1978, she started working at the General Directorate of Highways Technical Research Department, in the Ground Mechanics and Tunnels Branch Directorate. She was appointed as chief of tunnel and structures, then promoted to become deputy branch manager and branch manager. Akçelik worked on over 200 tunnel and geotechnical projects in her career. She prepared specifications for tunnel projects, construction and road engineering services. Akçelik wrote two books on problems in tunnel construction and weak ground problems and precautions on highways and authored 21 articles which were published in national and international conference proceedings. Akçelik spoke at the conference on the Use of Underground Structures organised by the

International Tunneling and Underground Space Association The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1974, comprising currently 78 member nations and 266 corporate or individual affiliate members, aiming to encour ...

in Istanbul in October 2002 and contributed to the organisation's international working groups. She was known for helping to support other women engineers. Nefise Akçelik retired in September 2003.

Personal life

Nefise Akçelik, married her colleague İbrahim Ethem Akçelik in 1978. The couple had a daughter, Oya, in 1979 and a son, Oğuz, in 1989. According to her husband, Akçelik was a socialist, anti-capitalist, anti-militarist and internationalist. She died on October 5, 2003, of complications from cancer.

Commemoration

The Hapan Tunnel, which Akçelik was involved in building but did not live to see completed was renamed the

in her honour in 2007. The highway tunnel is in Ordu Province, northern Turkey. At a length of 3,825 m (12,549 ft), it was the country's longest tunnel at the time of its opening. Nefise Akçelik was commemorated at the 31st

World Tunneling Congress in 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akçelik, Nefise 2003 deaths 1955 births Turkish civil engineers Erenköy Girls High School alumni People from Istanbul People from Tekirdağ Gazi University alumni Turkish women Turkish women engineers