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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Emine Fidan

Fidan graduated from the BAE Department with a Ph.D. in 2022. Natalie Nelson was her advisor. She says her research focused on “understanding flood and water quality dynamics during extreme storm events using machine learning and data analytics.”

Life at NC State

“I loved my experience in BAE at NC State! I was heavily involved in the departmental Graduate Student Association and really connected with the researchers I met in the department. I will forever be grateful for my Ph.D. experience at NC State because it introduced me to my life-long best friends, provided a healthy environment for me to learn and research, and prepared me well for a career in academia.”

Career Path

“My professional journey began with undergraduate research at the University of Tennessee, where we applied engineering and conducted fieldwork to study water quality and morphology in streams/rivers. This experience inspired a deep passion that warranted exploration. Seeking additional research exposure, I interned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where I immersed myself in the study of applied aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology. These experiences solidified my commitment to a research-intensive career path, while also highlighting the importance of diversifying my skill set beyond fieldwork. Consequently, I pursued studies in water resources engineering at NC State, focusing on analytical and computational approaches. This decision laid the groundwork for my current work, where I now leverage my field work experiences and my computational knowledge to understand water resources and ecological system dynamics during major storm events.

I knew upon completing my Ph.D. degree that I wanted to continue conducting research, and since I loved teaching as well, I knew that a university position would be the most fulfilling for me. Ultimately, I have my heart set on being the type of professor that Dr. Nelson in NC State’s BAE is: one who values progress in research and teaching, and also one who knows when to celebrate the small achievements made along the way.”