Nefise Akçelik

Nefise Akçelik (b. 1955, Muratlı - d. 5 October 2003) was a Turkish civil engineer who specialised in building tunnels. The Ordu Nefise Akçelik Tunnel is named in her honour.

Early life and education Akçelik was born in the Muratlı district of Tekirdağ in Turkey in 1955. She completed her secondary education at Erenköy Kız Lisesi’ the Erenköy Girls' High School in Istanbul.

Age 16, Akçelik enrolled in the civil engineering department of Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi (KTÜ) where she was the only female student in her department. Akçelik graduated from university in 1976 at the age of 20, having learned English and French as well as civil engineering.

In 1989, Akçelik earned a master's degree from the Department of Geotechnics in the Institute of Science at Gazi University in Ankara and received the title of technical chief.

Career In 1978, she started working at the General Directorate of Highways Technical Research Department, in the Ground Mechanics and Tunnels Branch Directorate. She was appointed as chief of tunnel and structures, then promoted to become deputy branch manager and branch manager.

Akçelik worked on over 200 tunnel and geotechnical projects in her career.

She was known for helping to support other women engineers. and a son, Oğuz, in 1989.

Commemoration The Hapan Tunnel, which Akçelik was involved in building but did not live to see completed was renamed the Ordu Nefise Akçelik Tunnel in her honour in 2007. The highway tunnel is in Ordu Province, northern Turkey. At a length of 3,825 m (12,549 ft), it was the country's longest tunnel at the time of its opening.

Nefise Akçelik was commemorated at the 31st International Tunneling and Underground Space Association World Tunneling Congress in 2005.