Dr. Babadagli is a professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Dept., School of Mining and Petroleum , at the University of Alberta. He holds BS and MS degrees from Istanbul Technical University and MS and PhD degrees from the University of Southern California, all in petroleum engineering and previously served on the faculty at Istanbul Technical U., Turkey, and Sultan Qaboos University, Oman.

Dr. Babadagli has specialized in the physics of fluid and heat flow through porous and fractured media, reservoir characterization through stochastic and fractal methods, the optimization of oil/heavy-oil recovery, and CO2 sequestration. He has conducted numerous industry/governmental/agency research projects, and developed expertise in identifying oil-field problems and recommended solutions as a consultant to companies and agencies

He was an Executive Editor for SPE Reservoir Evaluation and Engineering (Formation Evaluation part) between 2010 and 2013 and an Associate Editor of ASME J. of Energy Resources Technology between 2011 and 2014. He also served as a reviewer for numerous journals and received SPE’s A Peer Apart Award in 2013. He has been an active member of Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and was a member of the several Committees of SPE Conference and Forum Series . He is currently a member of JPT (Journal of Petroleum Technology) Editorial Committee (for a 3-year period to end in October 2018)

Dr. Babadagli has received the McCalla Professorship (2006-2007) for his research on "Increasing the Efficiency of Oil/Heavy-Oil Recovery" and the Killam Annual Professorship in 2011-2012.

As of July 1, 2011, Dr. Babadagli holds an NSERC Industrial Chair in Unconventional Oil Recovery.

Dr. Babadagli was selected as an SPE Distinguished Member in 2013 and is the recipient of the 2017 SPE International Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award. He also served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 2013-2014.
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In 2020, Dr. Babadagli was selected as a recipient of SPE and AIME Honorary Membership.