About
Dr. Kozacı has over 20 years of consulting and research experience in the fields of seismic hazard, geologic site characterization, and engineering geology. Much of his research and applied project experience relates to the evaluation of seismic hazards for regional lifeline systems and critical facilities. Dr. Kozacı has been a Principal or co-Principal Investigator on five research projects sponsored by the California Energy Commission (CEC), the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Geological Society of America (GSA) to perform fault behavior characterizations and integrated system vulnerability assessments.
Dr. Kozacı specializes in active tectonics, paleoseismology, tectonic geomorphology, and Quaternary geochronology. He has applied his expertise for seismic hazard investigations on international infrastructure projects, such as onshore and offshore pipelines, bridges, highways, tunnels, nuclear power plants, and dam projects for seismic source characterizations. He has led integrated geohazard investigations, including multiple international data acquisition and interpretation groups. Dr. Kozacı has active research experience in California as well as internationally on fault behavior characterizations and provides voluntary peer-reviews for scientific journals and professional technical reviews for Alquist-Priolo Act Fault Evaluation Reports.
Dr. Kozaci was tenured in May 2013 and received Associate Professorship.
Education
2008 Ph.D., Geology, University of Southern California, CA, USA
2002 M.Sc., Geological Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
2000 B.Sc., Geological Engineering, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Licences
Professional Geologist (California)
Remote Pilot (Unmanned Aerial Systems)
Employment History
2023-current Principal Geologist at Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Geosciences
2023 Principal Geologist at Mott MacDonald
2016- 2022 Principal Geologist at InfraTerra, Inc.
2015- 2016 Associate Geologist at Fugro Consultants Inc.
2008- 2015 Senior Geologist at Fugro Consultants Inc.
2003-2008 Research/Teaching Assistant at University of Southern California, Department of Earth Sciences
2003 Staff Geologist at William Lettis & Associates
2000-2002 Independent Consulting Geologist
Selected Professional Experience
2021, San Andreas Fault Site Investigation for Natural Gas Transmission Rerouting, San Mateo County, CA
2021, System-wide landslide and erosion mapping for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Geosciences Division
2021, System-wide Gas Transmission Levee Crossing Risk Assessment for Pacific Gas & Electric Company
2021, January 27, 2021 Rat Creek Highway 1 Embankment Failure ASCE Reconnaissance, Monterey Co., CA
2021, Development of an Integrated Methodology for Assessing the Vulnerability of Levees in Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta, California
2021, Natural Gas Pipeline-Calico Fault Crossing Geologic Characterization, San Bernardino County, CA
2021, Natural Gas Transmission Pigging Station Desktop Fault Rupture Evaluation, Sonoma County, CA
2021, Natural Gas Transmission Pigging Station Desktop Fault Rupture Evaluation, Alameda County, CA
2021, Natural Gas Pipeline-Newberry Fracture Zone Crossing Geologic Characterization, San Bernardino Co.
2021, O’Shaughnessy Boulevard Slope Mitigation, San Francisco, CA
2020, Filbert Steps Rockfall SfM and Geologic Mapping, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, California, USA
2020, Integrated Methodology for Assessing the Vulnerability of Levees in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, USA
2019, Mw6.4 July 4, and Mw7.1 July 5, Ridgecrest Earthquake Rapid Reconnaissance and Trenching, California
2019, Technical Review for UC Berkeley GSPP Project Alquist-Priolo Act Fault Evaluation Report, California, USA
2019, Natural Gas Pipeline Landslide Evaluation, Calaveras Fault Zone, Gilroy, California, USA
2019, Integrated Methodology for Assessing the Vulnerability of Levees in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, USA
2019, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Mayfield Fault Zone Crossing Characterization, California, USA
2019, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Goose Lake Fault Crossing Characterization, California, USA
2019, Electric Transmission Corridor Landslide Assessment, Northern California, USA
2019, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline System-wide Erosion and Landslide Field Assessments, California
2018, Integrated Methodology for Assessing the Vulnerability of Levees in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, USA
2018, Upper Feather River LiDAR-based Fault Mapping, Northern California, USA
2018, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Concord Fault Crossing Characterization, California, USA
2018, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Flint Hills Fault Zone Crossing Characterization, California, USA
2018, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Black Hills Fault Crossing Characterization, Nevada, USA
2018, Gas Transmission System-Wide Erosion and Landslide Field Assessments, Northern California, USA
2017, Water District Booster Station Fault Rupture Screening, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, USA
2017, West Shore Lake Oroville Surface Rupture Investigation, California, USA
2017, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Pyramid Lake Fault Crossing Characterization, Nevada, USA
2017, Green Valley Fault Trench Review and Structure from Motion Documentation, Cordelia, USA
2017, Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline San Andreas Fault Crossing Characterization, San Juan Bautista, USA
2017, Landslide Mapping Updates for Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines, Sonoma, Contra Costa, USA
2017, Oroville Dam Auxillary Spillway Emergency Erosion Mapping, California, USA
2017, Oroville Dam Electric Transmission Tower Emergency Relocation Site Selection, California, USA
2017, Maloney Pumping Plant and El Sobrante Treatment Plant Slope Stability Investigation, El Sobrante, USA
2017, San Andreas Reservoir Access Road Stability Evaluation, California, USA
2017, GIS-Based Geohazard Screening for Electric Transmission SCADA Switch Locations, Northern California
2017, GIS-Based Geohazard Assessment for Ignacio-Mare Island Electric Transmission Corridor, California USA
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis for Integrated Health Campuses, Turkey
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Colombia
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Japan
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Spain
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Malaysia
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Chile
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Peru
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Mexico
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Portugal
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Turkey
2017, Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Romania
2016, Osmaniye Windfarm Probable Maximum Loss Estimate Analysis, Turkey
2016, Watsonville Electric Distribution Reinforcement Project, California, USA
2016, Soil Profile Development for San Francisco Crime Laboratory, California, USA
2015 - 2016, Phase2 Geophysical Fault Investigation for Pit No3 Dam, Shasta, California, USA
2014 - 2015, Leviathan Offshore Pipeline and Facility Geohazard Study, Eastern Mediterranean
2014, Repsol Terminal Site and Pipeline Route Selection Study, Trinidad
2014, Fatal Flaw Screening Study for Planned Coqui Medical Isotope Facility, Florida, USA
2014, Fault Rupture Screening Study for Embalse Nuclear Power Plant, Argentina
2013 - 2014, Trans-Asia Gas Pipeline Route Data Acquisition and Geohazards Investigations, Uzbekistan
2013, Trans-Asia Gas Pipeline Route Data Acquisition and Geohazards Investigations, Tajikistan & Kyrgyzstan
2013, Mozambique Offshore Integrated Geohazards Characterization, Pemba, Mozambique
2013, Eden Medical Center Heli-Pad Slope Failure Investigation, Castro Valley, California, USA
2012, Seismic Source Model Characterization for Planned 3rd Bosporous Bridge PSHA, Istanbul, Turkey
2012, 3D High Energy Seismic Survey Diablo Canyon, Central Coast California, USA
2012, Fault Investigation Using Seismic Reflection Data for Pit No3 Dam, Shasta, California, USA
2012, Seismic Hazard Assessment for Iron Wash fault for Blue Castle NPP ESP, Green River, Utah, USA
2011 - 2012, Fault Rupture Hazard Screening Study, Lake Albert, Uganda
2011, Geologic Site Investigation for San Bruno Pipeline Explosion, California, USA
2011, Geologic Hazard Screening for Montezuma Hills Wind Farm, Solano County, California, USA
2011, Seismic Source Model Characterization for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analyses, Sakhalin Island,Russia
2009 - 2010, Geologic and Geotechnical Hazard Characterization for Planned İzmit Bay Bridge Project, Turkey
2008 - 2009, Characterization of Kern Canyon Fault for Lake Isabella Dam, Kern County, California, USA
2003, Fault Hazard Investigation for Alameda County Juvenile Correction Center, Alameda, California, USA
2003, Fault Hazard Investigation for PG&E Gas Pipeline, Hayward, California, USA
2001, Fault Hazard Characterization for Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline, Turkey
2000, Geologic Characterization of Fault Rupture Hazard for Gümüşova-Gerede Motorway, Turkey
2000, Geologic and Geotechnical Investigations for AKSA Chemical Plant, Turkey
2000, Seismic Hazard Investigation for Borusan Steel Factory, Turkey
2000, Geologic and Geotechnical Investigations for Ford Otosan Factory, Turkey
Invited Seminars and Lectures
2020, Active Tectonic Research Group, Applications of Active Tectonic Research Methods Towards Risk Reduction for Infrastructure Projects, [in Turkish], 6 November 2020, virtual.
2018, California State University, East Bay, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Integrated Seismic Hazard Investigations and Progressive Reduction of Uncertainties: The North Anatolian Fault as a Case Example [in English], 14 February 2018, Hayward, California, USA
2016, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Improving Infrastructure Resiliency through Integrated Geohazard Studies [in English], 6 June 2016, Oakland, California, USA
2014, North American Pipeline Integrity Forum, Integrated Geohazard Investigations: A Phased Approach for Safe and Efficient Pipeline Routing [in English], 1 May 2014, Calgary, Canada
2014, Istanbul Technical University, Eurasian Institute of Earth Sciences, Commemorating Aykut Barka, Spatio-Temporal Behavior of the North Anatolian fault, [in Turkish], 19 February 2014, Istanbul, Turkey
2014, Istanbul University, Department of Geological Engineering, Integrated Geohazard Investigations for High-Risk Infrastructure Projects [in Turkish], 18 February 2014, Istanbul, Turkey
2012, Boğaziçi University, Kandilli Observatory, Spatio-temporal Behavior of the North Anatolian fault [in English], 25 May 2012, Istanbul, Turkey
2012, Sakarya University, Department of Geophysics, Behavior of the North Anatolian fault [in Turkish], 23 May 2012, Sakarya, Turkey
2012, Osman Gazi University, Department of Geological Engineering, Using tree rings for documenting earthquakes [in Turkish], 18 May 2012, Eskisehir, Turkey
Teaching Experience
Spring, 2007 Earthquakes (GEOL 240), Teaching Assistant (Department of Earth Sciences, USC)
Spring, 2004 Earthquakes (GEOL 240), Teaching Assistant (Department of Earth Sciences, USC)
Fall, 2003 Earthquakes (GEOL 240), Teaching Assistant (Department of Earth Sciences, USC)
Academic Awards
2008 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting Outstanding Student Paper Award
2007 University of Southern California Department of Earth Sciences Teaching Award
2007 Geological Society of America Graduate Student Grant Program
2007 Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting Student Presentation Award
2005-2006 Merit Fellowship, University of Southern California College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
2003 Keck Fellowship, University of Southern California
Graduate Projects
Conducted paleoseismic research on the North Anatolian fault, Turkey
Identified, mapped, and sampled slip-rate sites along the North Anatolian fault, Turkey
Prepared and processed cosmogenic nuclide dating samples at LLNL under supervision of Dr. Robert Finkel
Processed charcoal and peat samples for radionuclide dating at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Compared geodetic slip rates with long term geologic slip rates
Documented large historic earthquakes and their recurrence intervals