Zafer Gurdal is a highly accomplished and well-respected aerospace engineering professor and researcher. He has held positions at major research institutions around the world, such as Virginia Tech, the University of South Carolina, TU Delft, and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. Gurdal's research interests include advanced structures, materials, and processes for aerospace applications. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and has received numerous awards and honors for his work in the field. Throughout his career, Gurdal has also been involved in several entrepreneurial ventures, including a tech company called ADOPTECH, Inc. His education includes a degree from the prestigious Middle East Technical University, where he studied engineering. Currently, Gurdal is a professor emeritus at Virginia Tech and continues to be an active member of the aerospace engineering community.