Saeed Lotfan

Saeed Lotfan

Faculty Member at Gebze Technical University
Department of Mechanical Engineering

slotfan@gtu.edu.tr

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Gebze Technical University. I earned my B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering at University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran in 2012, 2014, and 2018, respectively. I later joined Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey as a postdoctoral researcher.

My primary research interests center on mechanical vibrations, with a particular emphasis on both linear and nonlinear systems. I focus on the development of advanced mathematical models and efficient numerical methods to accurately characterize the complex dynamic behavior of structural systems. My work further encompasses reduced-order modeling in nonlinear mechanics, signal processing for inverse problems and structural health monitoring, computational mechanics for high-fidelity simulations, and the integration of machine learning techniques into these domains.


Academic & Education Timeline

Gebze Technical University
2022 – Present
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sabanci University
2020 – 2022
Postdoctoral Researcher
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
University of Tabriz
2014 – 2018
Ph.D. Student
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Vibration and Modal Analysis Lab.
University of Tabriz
2012 – 2014
M.S. Student
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Tabriz
2008 – 2012
B.S. Student
Department of Mechanical Engineering

News

December
2024
Spaghetti Bridge Competition
We held a Spaghetti Bridge Competition as part of the Statics course at Gebze Technical University. Students were challenged to design and construct bridges using only spaghetti and glue, aiming to maximize the load-to-weight ratio. The event provided an engaging platform for applying theoretical knowledge to a real-world structural task.
Spaghetti Bridge
November
2024
Jet Engine Design Competition – Third Place Award
Our student team, Gök Vatan, at Gebze Technical University achieved third place in the Jet Engine Design Competition, organized in collaboration with TEI – TUSAŞ Engine Industries, Inc. and TEKNOFEST.
Congratulations to our dedicated team members Muratcan Çalış, Mustafa Kaan Bostancıoğlu, Gediz Bal, Oğuzhan Emre Sağer, Muhammed Talha Kara, Muhammed Eren Tıraş, Fatih Mehmet Karkınlı, and team captain Eren Kalyoncu for their outstanding efforts and perseverance throughout the project.
Jet Engine Design Competition
August
2024
Journal Paper
Our paper titled "Coupled thermo-elastic dynamics of rotating pre-twisted blades exposed to thermal shock including nonlinear rotational effects", co-authored with Prof. E. Ciğeroğlu from Middle East Technical University, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Sound and Vibration.
Journal Paper JSV2025
September
2024
Conference Presentation
Our conference paper titled "Dynamic modeling of rotating axially functionally graded pre-twisted blades with chord length variations", co-authored with Prof. E. Ciğeroğlu from Middle East Technical University has been presented at the 27th International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS27: 3-6 September, Ravenna, Italy).
ICCS27
January
2024
Master’s Thesis Defense
My master’s student Furkan Çopur has successfully defended his master’s thesis titled “A Unified Model for Internal Rotordynamic Stability Based on Complex Coordinates Formulation”. Congratulations to him on earning his Master’s Degree and completing this important milestone.
Furkan
March
2023
Research Project
Our project titled "Nonlinear Vibrations of a High-Fidelity Model of Rotating Pre-Twisted Blades with Thickness and Chord Length Variations Including Nonlinear Centrifugal Effects", co-led by Prof. E. Ciğeroğlu from Middle East Technical University, has been accepted for funding under TÜBİTAK 1001 – The Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program.
Tubitak1001-2023
February
2023
Journal Paper
Our paper titled "A weak-form spectral Chebyshev technique for nonlinear vibrations of rotating functionally graded beams", co-authored with Prof. E. Ciğeroğlu from Middle East Technical University and Dr. B. Bediz from Sabancı University, has been accepted for publication in the journal of Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures.
Aweak-2023
June
2022
Journal Paper
Our paper titled "Free Vibrations of Rotating Pre-Twisted Blades Including Geometrically Nonlinear Pre-Stressed Analysis", co-authored with Dr. B. Bediz from Sabancı University, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Sound and Vibration.
Freevib-2022
July
2021
Journal Paper
My paper titled "Nonlinear Modal Interactions in a Beam-Mass System Tuned to 3:1 and Combination Internal Resonances Based on Correspondence Between MTS and NSI Methods" has been accepted for publication in the journal of Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing.
Nonlinear-2021