Invited Speakers

Prof. Dr. Mikdat Kadıoğlu

Position: Professor, Meteorology and Disaster Management

Agency: Istanbul Technical University (ITU)

Presentation title: Urban Climate, Synoptic Meteorology, Disaster Management, Aviation Meteorology and Extreme Events

Presentation summary: Will be announced later.

Presentation duration: Up to 30 minutes.

Speaker bio: Mikdat Kadıoğlu is Professor of Disaster Management Centre and Meteorological Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University – Turkey, where he has been since 1991. He also currently serves as advisor to President of Turkish Red Crescent Society and Governorship of Istanbul. Also actively involving in developing Disaster Mitigation, Response and/ or Business Continuity Plans and training programs for municipalities, schools, small business as well as large industrial facilities, etc.

His research interests center on disaster management, hydro-meteorological disasters and climate risk management. He received a B.S. from Istanbul Technical University in 1984, and M.S. form University of Missouri at Columbia, USA. He received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences form University of Missouri in 1987. After 1999 Marmara Earthquakes in Turkey, he earned numerous certificates from foundations such as USA FEMA, Japan JICA and UK Bormounth University about Disaster and Emergency Management, Planning, Flood Plain Development., etc.

Prof. Dr. Zafer Aslan

Position: Professor, Atmospheric Sciences

Agency: Istanbul Aydın University & OSTIV Meteorological Panel

Presentation title: Synoptic Meteorology, Boundary Layer Physics, Aviation Meteorology

Presentation summary: Will be announced later

Presentation duration: Up to 30 minutes.

Speaker bio: Prof. Dr. Zafer Aslan had her undergraduate, master, Ph.D. and associate degrees at Istanbul Technical University in atmospheric sciences and, professor degree on watershed management at Kafkas University. She worked at University of Washington, USA; CNR-IFA (Rome) and International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP, Trieste) as part of her pre -postdoctoral studies. She is the Vice Rector and a Teaching Member at the Istanbul Aydin University (IAU), Department of Computer Engineering.

She was the Director of IRD (International Relations Directory) and General Coordinator of IAU-EUA (European University Association) IEP (Institutional Evaluation Programme). She is a Member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World – The World Academy of Sciences (OWSD) and the Board Member of OSTIV FAI (International Scientific and Technical Soaring Organisation-Federation Aeronautic Internationale). She received Paul Tissandier Award, Geneva in 2013, Regular Associate and Simons Associate awards at ICTP, Italy in 1994 and 2014 respectively.

Her research interests are atmospheric convection, thermal soaring, renewable energy and data analysis in atmospheric sciences. She has more than 50 publications in refereed journals, and is the editor of nine international journals. She has contributed to two books and numerous subchapters.

Prof. Dr. Rene Heise

Position: Staff Officer, Emerging Security Challenges Division

Agency: NATO Headquarters

Presentation title: To be announced

Presentation summary: To be announced.

Presentation duration: Up to 30 minutes.

Speaker bio: Rene Heise works in NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division. Previously he served as Head of Geo-Sections at the German Air Force Air Operations Command and Acting Chief Meteorological & Oceanographic Officer at NATO Allied Command Operations. As a German Air Force Staff Officer, he developed forecasting tools on space‑weather effects and supported geo‑missions and humanitarian operations (SFOR, ISAF, OEF, EUFOR Congo). He holds a degree in Meteorology & Geophysics from Humboldt University Berlin. He led airborne GEO-expeditions measuring atmospheric turbulence over the Andes and Himalaya, and as a glider pilot monitors climate impacts such as glacier changes and jet-stream shifts. He is also Vice-President & Board Member of Europe Air Sports and the German Air Sport Federation. Member of GMACCC since October 2019.