Keynote / Invited Lecturers
Keynote Lecturer
|
Dr Suzanne Lacasse
Expert Adviser Natural Hazards, NGI, Norway Topic: Dams & risk assessment – Recent developments and applications Dr Suzanne Lacasse studied Arts at the University of Montréal and Civil Engineering at Ecole Polytechnique and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After 10 years on MIT's faculty, she spent the rest of her career at NGI, whereof 20 years as its Managing Director. She gave the Terzaghi Lecture and the Rankine Lecture, and is member of the National Academies of Engineering and of Sciences in USA, Canada, Norway and France. She is Honorary Professor at both Tongji and Zhejiang Universities in China. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Order of the Falcon in Iceland. |
|
Dr Sigurður Erlingsson, professor
University of Iceland & VTI, Sweden Topic: Geotechnical challenges in Iceland Dr. Erlingsson has a BS degree in geophysics from the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland in 1985, an MS degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. 1988 and a Ph.D. degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. 1993. Dr. Erlingsson is currently Professor at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland and VTI – The National Road and Transport Research Institute, Linköping, Sweden. Dr. Erlingsson have worked in the field of applied geotechnology related to pavements and pavement performances for over 20 years. He has published in the field over 100 papers in peer reviewed journals and conference. |
|
Dr Antonio Gens, professor
Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain Topic: Hydraulic fills with special focus on liquefaction Antonio Gens is professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the Technical University of Catalonia where he was Head of Department. He has been involved in geotechnical research, consulting and education for over 35 years. He was ISSMGE Vice-President for Europe in the period 2013-2017. He is a Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering and holds a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the University of Grenoble. He has received numerous awards such as the UK ICE’s Telford Medal (twice) and the George Stephenson Medal (also twice). He delivered the 2007 Rankine Lecture and he has been awarded the Kevin Nash Gold Medal by the ISSMGE. He has been recently named Laureate Engineer by the Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain. |
|
Jorge G. Zornberg, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE Priddy Centennial Professor in Engineering The University of Texas at Austin Giving the Mercer Lecture 2019 Topic: Stabilization of Roadways using Geosynthetics Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E., is Professor in the Geotechnical Engineering program at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his B.S. from the National University of Cordoba (Argentina), his M.S. from the PUC of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley (USA). He served as president of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). His research focuses on transportation geotechnics, geosynthetics, unsaturated soils, expansive clays and environmental geotechnics. He has authored over 400 technical publications, written a number of book chapters, and been awarded three patents. He received a number of prestigious awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) awarded by the President of the United States. |
|
Dr Lyesse Laloui, professor
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland Topic: Energy Geotechnology: A New Era for Geotechnical Engineering Society Dr. Lyesse Laloui is chaired professor leading the Soil Mechanics group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, Lausanne. He is the recipient of the Advanced ERC Grant from the European Research Council for his project BIOGEOS (BIO-mediated GEO-material Strengthening). Dr. Laloui is the Editor in Chief of the journal Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment.Prof. Laloui is actively involved in technology transfer with several patented inventions and the leading of two spin-offs in the areas of bio-cementation (Medusoil) and energy geostructures (Geoeg). |
Invited Lecturer
|
Dr. Gioacchino Viggiani, professor University of Grenoble, France Topic: Recent developments in laboratory testing of geomaterials with emphasis on imaging of processes |
|
Dr Lidija Zdravkovic, professor
Imperial College London, UK Topic: Analytical, numerical & physical modelling of geomaterials with relevant applications Lidija Zdravkovic is Professor of Computational Geomechanics and Head of Geotechnics Division at Imperial College London. Lidija has led and managed several research projects in collaboration with industry and other academic groups, focusing on the development and application of numerical methods in geotechnical design and providing solutions to a wide range of geotechnical problems, including renewable energy, infrastructure resilience and nuclear waste disposal. Her research outputs have received Telford Gold Medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK, and a BGA Medal on three occasions. She is UK representative and a core member of the ISSMGE Technical Committee 103 for Numerical Methods. |
|
Maurice Bottiau Franki Foundations, Belgium Topic: Piles & deep foundations emphasising recent developments and applications MAURICE J. M. BOTTIAU is Deputy General Manager of Franki Foundations, in Brussels, Belgium. Chairman of the Belgian Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Chairman of ETC3 of the ISSMGE: European Technical Committee 3 on Deep Foundation. Past-President of the European Federation of Foundation Contractors (EFFC). Board member of the Deep Foundations Institute Europe. Author of more than 50 papers, lectures and keynotes on Foundation Engineering. More than 30 years of experience in piling, diaphragm walls and soil improvement. |
|
Dr Mike G Winter professor
Winter Associates, UK Topic: Landslide hazards and risks to road users, road infrastructure and associated socio-economic activities Professor Mike Winter, BSc PhD CGeol FGS EurGeol CEng FICE EurIng UK Registered Ground Engineering Adviser Formerly Head of Ground Engineering/Honorary Chief Scientist at TRL, Mike is Director of Winter Associates, Visiting Industrial Professor of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, University of Portsmouth, and Adjunct Professor in the UNESCO-Chair Programme on Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction, Shimane University. Mike is a Chartered Civil Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Chartered Geologist and a UK Registered Ground Engineering Adviser with experience gained over almost 35 years. His main areas include landslides (particularly debris flows), engineering in glacial soils, compaction, soil acceptability for earthworking, and the use of waste materials and geomaterials.Mike is the joint longest-serving Chief Scientific Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology and led the organisation of the XVI ECSMGE in Edinburgh in 2015. |
|
Dr Sebastiano Foti, professor Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy Topic: Recent developments in geotechnical earthquake engineering and applications Sebastiano Foti is professor in Geotechnical Engineering and Vice-Rector for Education at Politecnico di Torino (Italy). His research activity is mainly devoted to geotechnical earthquake engineering and geophysical methods for geotechnical characterization. He is author of the book “Surface wave methods for near-surface site characterization” and a member of the Project Team for drafting the new version of Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design - Part 2: Ground investigation and testing. He was awarded the Geotechnical Research Medal (Bishop Medal) 2003 by the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and an Honorable Mention in the Best Paper category 2011 by the Society of Exploration Geophysics (USA). |
|
Dr. Ólafur G. Flóvenz Iceland GeoSurvey, CEO Topic: Geothermal exploitation in Iceland – Success and Challenges Dr. Ólafur G. Flóvenz has a dr.scient degree in geophysics from the University of Bergen in Norway. He became the head of the geophysical department of the national Energy Authority in Iceland in 1985 and director of the Research Division in 1997. Since 2003 he has been general director of Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR). Ólafur was a university lecturer in geophysics and geothermics 1979-2012 and adjunct professor in geothermics at the University of Iceland. Ólafur is author and co-author of over 100 scientific publications in English and over 120 research reports in Icelandic. |
|
Dr. Sigurður Reynir Gíslason, University of Iceland, research professor Topic: Carbon capture and mineral storage Sigurður received his PhD in geochemistry from the Johns Hopkins University, USA in 1985. He is a research professor at University of Iceland, the president of the European Association of Geochemistry and one of three directors of CarbFix, an international project on carbon capture and storage. In 2018, he was awarded the Patterson Medal of the Geochemical Society in USA for innovative breakthrough of fundamental significance in environmental geochemistry. |
