Curriculum Vitea, in the 75. Anniversary Special Thanksgiving Session

Ali Yılmaz was born in 1948 in Bozoba (Kulbin/ Dicle-Diyarbakır) village. Primary school was completed in the village in 1960; He started his secondary education at Dicle Primary Teacher Training School and completed it at Ankara Higher Teacher Training School Preparatory Class in 1966.  

In 1970, he graduated from Ankara Higher Teacher Training School as well as from Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University. He started to work in the Department of Geology at General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) during his Master’s study in 1971. He completed his master’s study at the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University, in 1973. Then, he graduated from the Department of English at the State Language School in 1974, as well.

While Ali Yılmaz was continuing his works at MTA, he studied the internal structures of ultrabasic rocks in the region between Tokat and Sivas, as his doctoral thesis, at Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University between 1973 and 1980. With this study, local ophiolites and ophiolitic mélange were identified, mapped and dated separately in the region first time. 

In 1987, he was entitled to become an Associate Professor at Ankara University Rectorate. During his studies at MTA, he worked in the Departments of Basic Researches and Geological Surveys in the realization and direction of various national and international projects in various regions of the country. These studies contributed to the understanding of geology of Turkey.  

He participated in geological correlation studies of the Caucasus with Turkey within the framework of the technical cooperation signed between Turkey and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1987. Later, he served as the project leader of the Turkish side within the framework of the cooperation between MTA and the Georgian State Department of Geology with the Geological Institute of the Academia of Sciences (Georgia) to study in detail for the inconsistencies in the geological maps observed along the borders of Turkey and Georgia. The data obtained during this study were published in international journals. Additionally, the report of this project, which was carried out between 1994 and 1997, was published as a multi-disciplinary projects (www.profdraliyilmaz.com). 

He worked on a reviewer of scientific committees of the Turkish Geological Society Bulletin, Geological Engineering, Earth and Human journals. He concentrated his studies on issues related to regional geology, tectonics and the study of ophiolites. During these works, he leaded at first, on preparation of geological maps at 1/25. 000 scale for the Sivas region. These maps are still used as basic references in applications related to Geology and Environment in Sivas. More importantly, the integration of geology into the environment has become visible with the works of Ali Yılmaz.  

He was appointed as a professor to the Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cumhuriyet University, on 09/12/1998. He worked as the head of the Department of Environmental Engineering between 1998- 2007. During this task, he served as editor in chief in the writing of Sivas Provincial Environmental Status Report, which published as a book form in 2002. On the realization of the congress, he chaired the board of 1th National Environmental Congress in Sivas in 2004. 

He received many plaques at various levels from local governments and universities, because of the administrative works and scientific researches. He has more than a hundred studies as papers, reports, compilations and seminars. On 19/02/2015, he retired. After his retirement, he made the chairman of the 1st and 2nd Environmental Geology Workshops Organizing Committee, hosted by the Chamber of Geological Engineers of Turkey, on 3-4 November 2017 and 1-2 November 2019 respectively. In his name, 75th Anniversary Special Thanksgiving Session was held during the 76th Türkiye Geology Congress with International Participation held at the MTA Culture Site on 15-19 April 2024. He is married and has two children.