Pinar Acar named John R. Jones III Faculty Fellow
Acar is an expert in materials and AI-enabled design.
Pinar Acar, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named a John R. Jones III Faculty Fellow in Mechanical Engineering by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The John R. Jones III Faculty Fellow in Mechanical Engineering endowment was established to acknowledge and reward mid-career faculty who have shown exceptional merit in research, teaching, or service. Jones ’67 earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He is a retired executive of American Electric Power and remains an active consultant to the power industry. He has been a member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board since 1998.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2018, Acar is an internationally recognized leader in multiscale materials modeling, uncertainty quantification, and artificial intelligence–enabled materials design. Her work addresses foundational challenges in materials behavior and manufacturing under uncertainty, advancing knowledge critical to aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and defense applications.
Acar’s research program is supported by significant external funding, including a National Science Foundation Career Award, an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program Award, as well as multi-million-dollar collaborative research initiatives.
Acar has graduated doctoral students, currently mentors a vibrant research group, and has developed new courses that expand the department’s offerings in optimization and data-driven materials modeling. Her mentorship has contributed to the preparation of the next generation of engineers and scholars in advanced manufacturing and materials design.
Acar received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
