Özgür B. Akan was born in Ankara, Turkey. After high school education in Ankara Fen Lisesi (Ankara Science High School), he received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical and electronics engineering from Bilkent University and Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, in June 1999 and January 2002, respectively. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from theBroadband and Wireless Networking Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, in May 2004. He was with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Middle East Technical University between May 2004 and August 2010.

He is currently a full Professor with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koc University and the Director of Next-generation and Wireless Communications Laboratory (NWCL).His current research interests are in nanoscale, molecular and quantum communications, next-generation wireless communications, cognitive radio networks, sensor networks, satellite and space communications, underwater acoustic communications, signal processing for communications, information theory.

Prof. Akan is an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Communications, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Editor for International Journal of Communication Systems (Wiley), Editor forEuropean Transactions on Telecommunications, and Editor for Nano Communication Networks Journal (Elsevier). He served as an Editor for ACM Wireless Networks (WINET) Journal (2004-2010), Area Editor for AD HOC Networks Journal (Elsevier) (between 2004-2008), as a Guest Editor for Special Issue on Fundamentals of Nanoscale Communications in Nano Communication Networks Journal (Elsevier), for Special Issue on Mobile Video in Signal Processing: Image Communication Journal (Elsevier), for Special Issue on Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks in Computer Networks Journal (Elsevier), for Special Issue on Bio-Inspired Computing and Communication in Wireless Ad Hoc And Sensor Networks in AD HOC Networks Journal (Elsevier), for Special Issue on Bio-inspired Networks in Springer Transactions of Computational Systems Biology (TCSB). He is currently the TPC Co-Chair for ACM NanoCom 2014, and served as the General Co-Chair for ACM MobiCom 2012 and IEEE MoNaCom 2012, and TPC Co-Chair for IEEE ISCC 2012, and ACM MSWiM 2010, the General Co-Chair for The Third International Conference on Bio-Inspired Models of Network, Information, and Computing Systems (ICST/IEEE BIONETICS 2008), the European Vice Chair for ICST/ACM NANO-NET 2007, an International Vice Chair for IEEE INFOCOM 2006, and in organizing committees and technical program committees of many other international conferences on communications and networking. He is the Publications Committee Councilor for ICST (Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering), and the Vice President for IEEE Communications Society - Turkey Section. He is an IEEE Senior Member (Communications Society) , and a member of ACM.

Prof. Akan is awarded the European Research Council's (ERC) Consolidator Grant for 2014-2019. He is appointed as IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) Distinguished Lecturer effective January 2011. He received the TUBITAK Young Scientist Award 2014, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Promising Scientist Award 2014, Kadir Has University, Young Scientist Award 2014 (BAGEP 2014), The Science Academy, Scientist of the Year Award 2013, Bilim Kahramanlari Dernegi, Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award 2012, Faculty of Engineering, Koc University, IBM Shared University Research (SUR) Award 2011, IEEE Communications Society 2010 Outstanding Young Researcher Award for Europe, Middle-East and Africa Region (as runner-up),IBM Faculty Award 2010, METU Thesis Advisor of the Year Award 2010, IBM Faculty Award 2008,Turkish Academy of Sciences Distinguished Young Scientist Award 2008 (TUBA-GEBIP), METU Outstanding Young Researcher Award 2008, the 2006 Parlar Foundation Research Encouragement Award for his research in bio-inspired communication techniques for wireless communication networks, the 2006 Editor of the Year Award from AD HOC Networks (Elsevier) Journal, the Best Paper Award in IEEE ISCN 2006, the TUBITAK-Career Award in 2005, and the 2003 Researcher of the Year Award in Broadband and Wireless Networking Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

Prof. Akan's current research interests are in:

He conducts and leads the research activities over these broad research fields as the Director of Next-generation and Wireless Communications Laboratory (NWCL).

The research work in NWCL has been funded by ERC (European Research Council), TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), IBM, INTEL, Lockheed Martin, TUBA (Turkish Academy of Sciences), Turk Telekom, Koc University, Middle East Technical University, ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, STM, and many other industrial programs and projects. For more information on the current and past research projects, research group members, publications, other technical activities, open positions and announcements, please check the Next-generation and Wireless Communications Laboratory (NWCL) home page.

Prof. Dr. Özgür Barış AKAN

Founder.