Anil Yazici, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award.
Yazici will lecture and conduct research at the University of Málaga in Spain to expand upon his U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) project, “One Bridge at a Time: Bridging the Digital Divide for the Well-Being of Aging Populations in Smart and Connected Communities.” Yazici will investigate the aging population’s mobility needs and available services within Málaga and compare them with those of the U.S.
Yazici’s research is timely and relevant, as in 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will be 22 percent, nearly doubling from 12 percent in 2015. The United Nations reacted to this impending challenge of supporting the aging population by declaring 2021–2030 the Decade of Healthy Aging.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to visit the University of Málaga and expand my research on the technology solutions to the aging population’s transportation and mobility issues in Spain, the country that has the highest life expectancy in Europe. And of course, it is difficult to beat the additional excitement of living (albeit, short) at the Mediterranean coast of Andalucia,” said Yazici.
“We are very proud of Dr. Yazici’s selection as a Fulbright Fellow to broaden his research on how transportation activities impact the economy and our quality of life,” said Rigoberto Burgueño, professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. “His international setting will allow him to strategically study the impact that technology availability, urban density and cultural behavior have on the mobility options of the elderly. Such knowledge could help develop options, resources and policies to improve the quality of life of older adults. We look forward to the findings and knowledge that Dr. Yazici will bring back to SBU and his community of scholars.”
Yazici is among over 800 U.S. scholars who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. He will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and Spain.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled roughly 400,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and find solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State.
— Beth Squire
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