Adnan Akay joined Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey on January 1, 2009 as the founding chair of the new Mechanical Engineering Department where he also holds the title of Vice President, taking a leave of absence from Carnegie Mellon University. Previously, Dr. Akay served at the National Science Foundation as the Director of Civil and Mechanical Systems Division, Acting Director for the Division of Design and Manufacturing Innovation, and between October 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 as the Director for Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division that resulted from the merger of the two Divisions. Dr Akay joined Carnegie Mellon as a professor and head of the Mechanical Engineering Department in 1992. In 1997, he was awarded the endowed Lord Chair in Engineering.  From 1978 to 1992, he was on the faculty at Wayne State University where he held the DeVlieg Chair in Engineering. Between 1976 and 1978 he was a visiting staff fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health. He has held visiting appointments at MIT and the University of Rome "La Sapienza," and at Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon in France. 

During Akay’s tenure, Carnegie Mellon's Mechanical Engineering Department extensively revised its curriculum, which now ranks as one of the most flexible in the country. While attracting students with diverse talents and interests, the curriculum also is responsible for increasing both the ratio of women students and the total number of undergraduates selecting mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon. The revised curriculum was part of a departmental strategy to: (i) develop select research areas that leverage the strengths of the university and emphasize collaboration among faculty within and outside the college of engineering, (ii) broaden the traditional boundaries of the discipline, and (iii) provide flexible learning opportunities to students. In support of these strategies, the department has developed new research and educational laboratories that provide hands-on experiences to undergraduates. Akay's current focus is to promote a "renaissance" in engineering education, one that emphasizes knowledge creation and recognizes the individual student.

Adnan Akay's research lies in applied mechanics with emphasis on vibrations and acoustics. Much of his current research focuses on friction-induced sounds, addressing aircraft and automotive brake noise, and on contact damping aimed at reducing jet engine blade vibrations. A current collaborative research project with the University of Rome applies the concept of thermalization of vibrations, inspired by the dynamics of atoms in a solid, to reduce vibrations in complex structures. Akay's research combines analytical and experimental work. His laboratory facilities provide his students with the state-of-the-art sound and vibration measurement and analysis technologies.

Adnan Akay is an active member of the engineering professional community, and has been recognized for his contributions to research, education and professional service. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Acoustical Society of America, and a member of several honor societies. Most of his activities are coordinated through ASME, for which until recently he served as a vice president and as a team leader in the Critical Asset Protection Initiative. He co-founded, and has held numerous positions in, the ASME Noise Control and Acoustics Division. He also participated in the Engineering Foundation and has served as Council chair. Dr. Akay regularly consults with international industries as a technical advisor and serves on advisory boards of several universities.

Dr. Akay received his B.S., M.M.E., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from North CarolinaStateUniversity.