Burchan Aydin, Ph.D.

Department Head/Associate Professor.

Originally from Turkey, Dr. Burchan Aydin came to the United States as a master's student in 2005. He fell in love with Texas and decided to stay permanently, now living in Commerce.

He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses and conducted research at Texas A&M University-Commerce since 2015. His research mainly focuses on using drones and artificial intelligence to support wildfire containment efforts. Aydin is a certified drone pilot through the Federal Aviation Administration and serves as advisor for the A&M-Commerce drone club.

An avid soccer fan and player since childhood, Aydin has previously coached the A&M-Commerce men's club soccer team. He now reports he has begun to enjoy football as well.

A Conversation with Dr. Burchan Aydin

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

“At A&M-Commerce you will get the higher education you need for a great career in industry or academia. Our alumni are representing us proudly and doing amazing jobs. The faculty, staff, campus facilities and technology are all ready to provide you with a pleasant university atmosphere. The class sizes are small, creating opportunities for faculty to concentrate on your needs and value your efforts more than at larger universities. We are like a family here. Don't hesitate to join the Lions.”

What has been your favorite course to teach?

“My favorite course to teach is the Emerging Technologies class, which is a core subject in the Master of Science in Technology Management program. This course emphasizes several emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, drones, 3D printing, biotechnology, Internet of Things, etc. The objective of this course is to study these technologies and their potential impacts on the future of work. I believe it is crucial to evaluate the future of work for every occupation as emerging technologies are taking over repetitive tasks, but also creating new job opportunities.”

Tell us about a project you are currently working on or recently completed.

“In collaboration with two California-based companies, we are working on using drones and machine learning to combat wildfires. During a forest fire, ember casts are the cause of additional wild fires starting around the periphery of the central wildfire radiant. An ember cast can fly over a mile before starting a wildfire. These additional wildfires cause a chaotic environment for the ground and aerial fire-fighting crews. It is critical to extinguish them as early as possible. By monitoring and detecting the ember casts with unmanned air vehicles (UAV) using artificial intelligence, we are trying to send immediate fire responses using smaller UAVs, while modeling the behavior of fire to determine at-risk buildings and evacuation routes. The key motivation is saving lives.”

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Industrial Engineering, Texas Tech University, 2014
• MAA, Organizational Development, University of the Incarnate Word, 2007
• BS, Industrial Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 2005

Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering and Technology, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2015-present
• Adjunct Faculty, Department of Engineering and Technology, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2015

Research Interests

• Emerging technologies
• Drones
• Sustainability
• Engineering Education

Professional Organizations

• American Society for Engineering Management
• Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering

Research Funding

• $2,500, Texas A&M University Engineering Experimentation, 2017-2018
• $2,500, Texas A&M University Engineering Experimentation, 2018-2019

Selected Publications

• Aydin, B. (2019). Public acceptance of drones: Knowledge, attitudes, and practice. Technology in Society, 59, 101180.
• Aydin, B., Selvi, E., Tao, J., Starek, M. (2019). Use of Fire-Extinguishing Balls for a Conceptual System of Drone-Assisted Wildfire Fighting. Drones 3(1), pp. 17.
• Aydin, B., Yeon, J., Oh, E. (2019). Drones in Construction Sector: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice, a Pilot Survey Study. IIE Annual Conference Proceedings. Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.
• Aydin, B., Kim, S., Harp, D., & Ojemuyiwa, S. (2018, May). Designing an Automated Green Roof System. In IIE Annual Conference Proceedings. Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.