Irem Y. Tumer

Irem Y. Tumer is an American mechanical engineer and academic administrator serving as the vice president for research and innovation at Oregon State University (OSU). A former researcher at Ames Research Center, specialized in system-level design and analysis for complex engineered systems. In 2024, she was named the 2025 chair of the Council on Research for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).

Education Tumer received her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Cockrell School of Engineering at University of Texas at Austin. She earned a B.S. in 1991, a M.S. in 1995, and a Ph.D. in 1998. The title of her doctoral dissertation is "Foundations of Condition Monitoring for Manufacturing and Design." Her doctoral supervisors were Kristin L. Wood and Ilene Busch-Vishniac. At OSU, she leads the complex engineered system design group within the design engineering labs. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

In December 2024, Tumer was named the 2025 chair of the council on research for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). She stated the position would provide OSU with "visibility in a leadership role" and that the council would focus on advocacy, industry partnerships, and exploring the advantages of artificial intelligence (AI). She emphasized that the council must be "laser focused on all things AI."