With a background in Architecture, Dr. Bay-Sahin earned her Ph.D. in ‘Technologies of the Built Environment’ from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2020, following a Master of Science in Architectural Design from Istanbul Technical University. Dr. Bay-Sahin has garnered numerous awards and fellowships throughout her career including the Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals (AIA New York, 2020), the Race to Zero Student Design Competition award (U.S. Department of Energy, 2017), the Turkish Government Doctoral Scholarship (2015-20), and the Illinois Institute of Technology Graduate Scholarship (2015-16). Prior to her relocation to the UK, she taught at Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Utah, and Korkut Ata University. Additionally, Dr. Bay-Sahin collaborates with several research groups from the University of Texas at San Antonio, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Drexel University.
Her research activities are centered on sustainable design, building technology, and occupant thermal comfort, health, and well-being. She has extensive research experience focusing on energy efficiency in residential and historic buildings, as well as expertise in natural ventilation techniques, exploring the intricate interrelations between thermal comfort, airflow, energy use, and architectural design.