Deniz Besiktepe, an assistant professor in Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Construction Management Technology, was recently recognized for her influential research on digital twins during a high-level workshop in Washington, D.C., hosted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
The workshop, "Next Steps in Estimating Facility Renewal Costs," convened current and former officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Office of Management and Budget to address the challenges of managing the U.S. government's $2.2 trillion real estate portfolio.
Besiktepe was an invited presenter, sharing her expertise on how advanced technologies can create "digital twins" of buildings to better forecast and manage renewal costs for the nation's aging and mission-critical facilities.
In a recent article summarizing the event, Mike Eriksen, a professor of economics and director of the Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program at Purdue’s Daniels School of Business, described Besiktepe's presentation as "especially insightful."
Eriksen highlighted Besiktepe's focus on "systems thinking," an approach that treats buildings, infrastructure, and people as an interconnected ecosystem. He noted that her research showcased how technologies like Building Information Management (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and machine learning can unify data and help leaders "replace guesswork with evidence-based decision-making."
The presentation also addressed significant barriers to adopting these new technologies in a federal setting, including fragmented data platforms, cybersecurity concerns, and cultural resistance. Eriksen's recap noted that Besiktepe shared practical strategies to overcome these hurdles, such as using pilot projects to demonstrate quick wins and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
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