Dr. Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Instructor at Ankara University Water Management Institute, Turkey

Dr. Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan is a dynamic environmental engineer and researcher at Ankara University’s Water Management Institute. With a strong foundation in environmental engineering and a passion for integrated water resources management, she has established herself in the emerging intersection of artificial intelligence, climate science, and water systems. Her research addresses pressing global issues, including water-energy-climate nexus, wastewater reuse, and reservoir evaporation forecasting. She actively participates in national and international scientific communities, contributing to research projects, conference organizations, and peer-reviewed publications. As a reviewer and invited speaker, she continues to influence the academic and practical realms of water management. Dr. Dilcan’s unique ability to blend data-driven modeling with real-world environmental challenges has earned her recognition, including awards from TÜBİTAK and COST Action. She exemplifies the new generation of interdisciplinary researchers driving sustainability and innovation in environmental systems. 🌍💧📊

Publication Profile 

• Google Scholar
• Scopus
• ORCID

🎓 Education

Dr. Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan pursued her entire academic journey in environmental engineering. She earned her B.Sc. (2009) and M.Sc. (2012) from Dokuz Eylül University, specializing in environmental systems analysis. Her growing interest in advanced modeling and sustainability led her to Hacettepe University, where she completed her Ph.D. in 2023, focusing on the use of artificial intelligence in water resources management. Her doctoral research integrated modern computational methods with environmental system analysis, reflecting her commitment to innovative approaches for addressing global environmental challenges. Her educational path combines a solid technical base with an advanced skillset in predictive modeling, climate adaptation strategies, and sustainable water solutions. This academic background underpins her current work and fuels her ongoing research in climate-resilient water technologies. 🎓📚💡

👩‍💼 Professional Experience

Dr. Dilcan began her professional journey as a Specialist at Ankara University’s Water Management Institute (2013–2018), where she contributed to various national water projects and policy-related research. In 2018, she was promoted to Instructor, a role that combines teaching, applied research, and academic leadership. She has also acted as a consultant on projects related to industrial wastewater treatment and has developed strategic water management frameworks for the defense and agricultural sectors. Additionally, Dr. Dilcan has been involved in organizing and leading national and international scientific conferences and training sessions, making her a recognized contributor to Turkey’s water research and education landscape. Her experience spans technical expertise, interdisciplinary research collaboration, and policy advisory roles, placing her at the forefront of environmental engineering practice in academia and beyond. 🏢🔬🌐

🔬 Research Interests

Dr. Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan’s research lies at the crossroads of sustainability, environmental modeling, and artificial intelligence. Her core interests include water-energy-climate nexus modeling, reservoir evaporation forecasting, urban water system resilience, and climate change adaptation in water management. She explores how advanced computational tools—like artificial neural networks—can enhance predictive capabilities in environmental systems. She is particularly invested in sludge disintegration, wastewater reuse, and energy recovery via anaerobic digestion, demonstrating a systems-level approach to circular water and waste management. By addressing real-world challenges through integrated models, her work supports sustainable decision-making under uncertainty. Her evolving research direction strongly aligns with the global shift toward data-driven environmental engineering, climate-resilient infrastructure, and sustainable development goals. 🔄🌦️🧠

🧠 Research Skills

Dr. Dilcan possesses a versatile set of research skills that blend technical proficiency with scientific communication. She is an expert in artificial neural networks (ANNs), machine learning algorithms, and MATLAB-based modeling for environmental systems. Her skills in data analysis, water quality modeling, and climate scenario forecasting equip her to handle complex environmental datasets and produce actionable insights. She is also skilled in proposal writing, project coordination, and academic publishing, with experience in both national and international multi-institutional research teams. Furthermore, she regularly delivers technical seminars and training sessions, underlining her ability to translate research into education and policy. Her strength lies in connecting modeling techniques with applied environmental solutions, making her a critical thinker and impactful researcher. 📊🔍💻

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan has been recognized for her excellence in interdisciplinary research and contributions to environmental science. In 2023, she received the prestigious TÜBİTAK UBYT Incentive Award for her international publications on climate-based water modeling. That same year, she was awarded the Inclusive Target Countries Grant by COST Action CA20138 for her novel methodology on powerplant water consumption prediction, presented at the EWRA 2023 Congress in Greece. She has also been invited to serve on scientific committees, including the MDST2024 Conference and the Environmental Education Congress 2025, demonstrating her leadership in academic communities. Her work as a reviewer for international journals like Water Resources Management further showcases her peer recognition. These accolades reflect both the scientific quality and the societal relevance of her research. 🏆📢🌟

Conclusion🌟

Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan is a highly promising, emerging researcher with a multidisciplinary focus on sustainable water resource management, artificial intelligence, and climate-related challenges. Her active publication record, project involvement, and professional contributions make her a strong candidate for early-career or emerging researcher awards.

For Best Researcher Award (if it targets mid- to senior-level academics), she is borderline-eligible but still competitive, especially given her recent Ph.D., impactful research themes, and increasing leadership in scientific events.

Publications 📚

• Ahi, Y., Coşkun Dilcan, Ç., Köksal, D.D., Gültaş, H.T. (2023)
  Reservoir evaporation forecasting based on climate change scenarios using artificial neural network model
  Water Resources Management 37 (6), 2607–2624
  Cited by: 23

• Dilcan, Ç.C., Çapar, G., Korkmaz, A., İritaş, Ö., Karaaslan, Y., Selek, B. (2018)
  İçme suyu şebekelerinde görülen su kayıplarının dünyada ve ülkemizdeki durumu
  Anahtar Dergisi 354, 10–18
  Cited by: 18

• Çapar, G., Dilcan, Ç.C., Akşit, C., Arslan, Ş., Çelik, M., Kodal, S. (2016)
  Evaluation of irrigation water quality in Gölbaşı District
  Journal of Agricultural Sciences 22 (3), 408–421
  Cited by: 8

• Coskun Dilcan, C., Aydinalp Koksal, M. (2024)
  A novel modeling approach on the water–electricity–climate nexus in the context of resource sustainability
  Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
  Cited by: 3

• Çapar, G., Coşkun, Ç., Arslan, Ş. (2020)
  Assessment of livestock drinking water quality: A case study in a special environmental protection area
  Erciyes Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 36 (1), 61–75
  Cited by: 2

• Dilcan, C.C., Koksal, M.A. (2025)
  A novel approach to resource management within the water-electricity-climate nexus perspective
  Science of The Total Environment 991, 179921

• Coşkun Dilcan, Ç., Özgenç, E., Ahi, Y. (2025)
  Methods and Techniques for Microplastic Detection and Identification in Water and Wastewater—A Methodology Review
  In: Microplastics in Wastewater, Springer

• Çapar, G., Coşkun Dilcan, Ç., Arslan, Ş., Akşit, C., Çelik, M., Kodal, S., Yetiş, Ü. (2017)
  Gölbaşı Özel Çevre Koruma Bölgesinde Yeraltı Suyu Kalitesinin Değerlendirilmesi
  International Congress Proceedings

• Coşkun, Ç. (2012)
  Mesophilic anaerobic digestibility of pre-treated sludges
  PQDT-Global (Thesis/Dissertation)