WASHINGTON – Nadir Yilmaz, Ph.D., P.E., professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, recently received the prestigious SAE International Leadership Citation from SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers. The SAE International Leadership Citation provides public recognition to one individual annually who is internationally acknowledged for continuous professional involvement and participation in SAE programs and events worldwide. According to SAE, the individual selected  provides unique assistance and support in helping to achieve its goals and objectives, through leadership and courageously implementing change to enhance the international activities of the Society.”

“Overall, my goal has always been to help SAE maintain its position as the mobility leader internationally, and so I am humbled and honored with this citation,” Yilmaz says. “It is a true testament to, and appreciation of, my efforts to advance the mobility industry through leadership, mentorship of a diverse group of young automotive and aerospace engineers, knowledge generation, dissemination and active engagement.”

Yilmaz’s commitment to SAE through his leadership roles and service domestically and abroad for numerous SAE initiatives has been continuously recognized by SAE. He was selected by SAE as a top contributor in 2019 for his wide-ranging volunteer and engagement contributions, which included serving as chair of SAE International Education Board and the Washington D.C. Section of SAE and fifteen years of service as a faculty advisor of SAE Student Chapters and SAE Collegiate Design Series (CDS) activities. Yilmaz has also served as the editor-in-chief for the SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants for more than decade and has been successful in his efforts to include and promote the work of international scholars through SAE activities.

Yilmaz has campaigned for the establishment of a strong SAE presence in Turkey and facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding between the Society of Automotive Engineers of Turkey (SAE Turkey) and SAE International for advancing SAE scholarly journals. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SAE Turkey.

Previously, Yilmaz was recipient of the 2016 SAE International Excellence in Engineering Education (Triple E) Award, 2011 SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, and the SAE Faculty Advisor Award, in 2013 and 2016. He has also received awards from American Society for Engineering Education, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), including the 2014 NSPE National Young Engineer of the Year Award, which is awarded to a professional engineer under the age of 35. Yilmaz was named a fellow of SAE, ASME and NSPE in 2016.

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Media contact: Sholnn Freeman, Office of University Communications, sholnn.freeman@howard.edu