He was born in 1974 in Suruç district of Şanlıurfa. He graduated from ITU, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering in 1995. He completed his master’s degree in Environmental Engineering Department at ITU in 1997. He completed his doctorate in the same field in 2002. He worked as a guest researcher for one year at Rice University between 2002-2003, Leuven University in 2003 and Rice University in 2004. He received the title of associate professor in 2004. He received the title of professor in 2010. In 2019, he taught as a guest professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University.

He has held many administrative positions including Director of ITU Institute of Science and Technology (2012-2018), Member of the ITU Executive Board (2012-2016), Member of the ITU Senate (2012-2018), Member of the ITU Faculty of Civil Engineering Executive Board (2015-2018), and Member of the ITU Environmental Engineering Department Commission. He continues to serve as the founding center director of Istanbul Technical University Prof. Dr. Dincer Topacık National Membrane Technologies Application and Research Center (MEMTEK), which was established in 2010. He is a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), a member of the Asian Academy of Sciences Climate Change and Health Committee, and a member of the International Water Association (IWA) Membrane Technologies Group. He was awarded the Environment Award by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry in 2018, and the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Council of Higher Education in 2019. He was appointed as the Rector of ITU on August 14, 2020.