Seminar Series

Geotechnical Engineering & Geomechanics

The Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics group frequently holds public seminars from visiting researchers and practitioners. If you are interested in giving a seminar, please contact one of the faculty.

The Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics faculty also organize the annual Jack Hilf Lecture. Hilf was a world-famous dam engineer with the US Bureau of Reclamation, and was the first PhDÌýgraduate from the GEG program. The Hilf lecture is one of the main annual geotechnical events in ¾«Í¯ÓûÅ®. There have been more than 20 lectures to date by prominent geotechnical engineering leaders.

  • 2025 Andrew J. Whittle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lessons Learned from Case Studies of Structures Built on Normally Consolidated Clays
  • 2023ÌýRonaldo I. Borja,ÌýStanford University,ÌýBridging nanoindentation and triaxial creep tests on a shale
  • 2022 Ross Boulanger, University of California, Davis,ÌýNonlinear Viscoplastic Modeling of the Feijão Dam 1 Failure
  • ​2019ÌýRudolph Bonaparte, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.,ÌýGeotechnical Stability of Waste Fills – Lessons Learned and Continuing Challenges
  • 2018 Guy Houlsby, University of Oxford, New design methods for very large laterally loaded piles
  • 2017 Richard Finno, Northwestern University, Failures of geo-structures: can they be prevented?
  • 2016 Steven Kramer, University of Washington, Past, Present, and Future Developments in Liquefaction Hazard Analysis
  • 2015 Malcom Bolton, University of Cambridge,ÌýPerformance-Based Design in Geotechnics
  • 2014 Kenneth H. StokoeÌýII, University of TexasÌýAustin, Effectiveness of Inhibiting Liquefaction Triggering by Shallow Ground
  • 2013 Kenneth Been, Golder Associates Ltd. (Halifax, Canada), Design of Mine Tailings for Liquefaction: Making Paste Tailings Work
  • 2012 Nicholas Sitar, University of CaliforniaÌýBerkeley, Seismically Induced Lateral Earth Pressures: If not Mononobe-Okabe, then what?
  • 2011 Tom O'Rourke, Cornell University, Geohazards and Large Geographically Distributed Systems
  • 2010 Raymond J. Krizek, Northwestern University, Civil Engineering Challenges of Tomorrow
  • 2009 Stephen G. Wright, University of TexasÌýAustin, Soil Strength and Slope Stability
  • 2008 Suzanne LaCasse, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Oslo), The Role of the Geotechnical Engineer in Supplying Future Energy Needs
  • 2007 Frank Townsend, University of FloridaÌýGainesville, Dams and Levees: Design 101
  • 2006 William Marcuson III, Director emeritus atÌýERDC (Vicksburg,ÌýMS), Seismic Design and Analysis of Embankment Dams: The State of Practice
  • 2005 Clyde Baker, STS Consultants, Illinois Simple Soil Structure Interaction Concepts in Innovative Foundation
  • 2004 Gonzalo Castro, Geotechnical Engineers Inc. (Winchester, MA), Seismic Stability of Tailings Dams
  • 2003 Jorj Osterberg, Northwestern University, Geotechnical Engineers, Wake Up! - The Soil Exploration Process Needs Drastic Change
  • 2002 Robert M. Koerner, Drexel University, Leachate Recycling Leading to Bioreactor Landfills
  • 2001 John Christian, Emeritus, Stone & Webster Inc. (Boston, MA), How Reliable is Geotechnical Engineering?
  • 2000 Ralph B. Peck, RB Peck (Albuquerque, NM), The Wets vs. the Drys: Earth Dams and Soil Mechanics
  • 1999 J.P. Giroud, Geosyntec Consultants Inc.,ÌýLessons Learned from Failures Associated with Geosynthetics
  • 1998 G. Wayne Clough, Georgia Tech, Constructing the Muni Metro Tunnel in San Francisco in Difficult Soil Conditions
  • 1997 J. Michael Duncan, Virginia Tech, A Case of Large Settlements in the Olympic Village
  • 1996 Richard Goodman, University of CaliforniaÌýBerkeley,ÌýChallenges posed by Melange geological formation in engineering
  • 1995 Don Deere, Don Deere & Associates (Gainesville, Florida), Geotechnical Engineering in Hydroelectric Projects
  • 1994 Michael Jamiolkowski, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)ÌýThe Leaning Tower of Pisa
  • 1993 Glenn Tarbox, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Innovation, The Spirit of Engineering