Prof. Dr. A. Rifat Yarar, born in Istanbul in 1913, graduated in 1937 from the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at the Istanbul School of Higher Engineering. He began his academic career in 1938 at Civil Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University. In 1950, he earned the title of Doctor of Science from Harvard University. In 1952, he was appointed as a professor at Istanbul Technical University, and between 1955 and 1961, he held various administrative positions.

Prof. Dr. Yarar has served as a consultant on numerous national and international projects, focusing his research on seismic analysis and structural safety. He has published over 200 scientific articles, book chapters, and conference papers, and has contributed to the scientific community by acting as a reviewer and editor for international journals. His research areas primarily include structural dynamics, earthquake engineering, seismic isolation, nonlinear analysis methods, and soil-structure interaction.

In addition, he has supervised more than 30 master’s theses and nearly 20 doctoral dissertations, making significant contributions to engineering practices through the innovative methods he developed. His presentations at various scientific conferences and his active roles in professional organizations further demonstrate his leadership and expertise in the field.

His interests also encompass the behavior of structures during earthquakes, microzonation, the liquefaction potential of soil, and the seismic safety of structures.