ProfessorCatherine O'Sullivan
Professor of Particulate Soil Mechanics
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
Orcid identifier0000-0002-0935-1910 (opens in a new tab)
- Professor of Particulate Soil MechanicsDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
- 020 7594 6117 (Work)
- 501, Skempton Building, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom
BIO
Bio:
Prof. O'Sullivan has been a professor in the Geotechnics Section of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College since September 2017. She joined the Dept. in 2004 as a lecturer, following a two-year period at University College Dublin. She completed her PhD studies at the University of California, Berkeley in 2002.
Catherine is currently Head of the Geotechnics Section. She is also Editor in Chief of the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. She is Deputy Chair of the Faculty of Engineering Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee at Imperial College London.
Catherine's main research interest is in particulate soil mechanics. Her research uses discrete element modelling (DEM) as well as experimental techniques including micro-computed tomography (μCT). Catherine has been applying these techniques to look at fundamental sand behaviour, behaviour of reservoir sandstones, internal erosion and interpretation of laboratory tests. Recognition for her research includes the 2015 Geotechnique lecture and the 2016 Shamsher Prakash Research Award.
Catherine is very happy to support prospective students who are interested in applying for scholarships for PhD research in the area of particulate soil behaviour. A list of scholarships for studying at Imperial College is here. If you are interested please contact Catherine who can support you through the application process. Catherine is also happy to discuss post-doctoral fellowship opportunities with interested researchers.
Most of Catherine's students have had a background in civil engineering, but her group has included physicists, mathematicians and mechanical engineers.On two occasions her PhD students have nominated her for an Imperial College London Student Choice Supervision Award. In 2021 Catherine was presented with an Imperial College London President’s Awards for Teaching Innovation.
Catherine has authored a well known textbook called Particulate DEM: A geomechanics perspective, which was published by Taylor and Francis in 2011. Kiichi Suzuki translated a Japanese language edition this book.
Areas of Expertise:
Discrete element modelling, laboratory validation of discrete element models, development of discrete element analysis tools, micromechanics of granular material response, micro-computed tomography, characterisation of granular materials.
NEWS:
Catherine is a keynote speaker at CHOPS2024.
Catherine presented at the UC Berkeley Geosystems Distinguished Lecture Series in 2024
Catherine was invited to be a speaker at the from the Geotechnique 75 Anniversary Event in Oct 2023 .
Catherine is honoured to have been delighted to deliver the 2023 Alert Geomechanics Special Lecture.
Catherine is delighted to have been invited as a keynote speaker at the 2023 ASCE EMI conference in Atlanta.
Catherine presented at the June 2022 Gordon Research Conference on Particulate Systems Across Scales: From Colloidal Science to Geophysics
Catherine delivered a key note entitled Particle Scale Modelling in Soil Mechanics: Stiffness, strength, and seepage at the Particles 2019 conference.
Catherine delivered a keynote entitled DEM, dams and dikes at the DEM8 conference in July 2019.
Prof. O'Sullivan has been a professor in the Geotechnics Section of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College since September 2017. She joined the Dept. in 2004 as a lecturer, following a two-year period at University College Dublin. She completed her PhD studies at the University of California, Berkeley in 2002.
Catherine is currently Head of the Geotechnics Section. She is also Editor in Chief of the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. She is Deputy Chair of the Faculty of Engineering Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee at Imperial College London.
Catherine's main research interest is in particulate soil mechanics. Her research uses discrete element modelling (DEM) as well as experimental techniques including micro-computed tomography (μCT). Catherine has been applying these techniques to look at fundamental sand behaviour, behaviour of reservoir sandstones, internal erosion and interpretation of laboratory tests. Recognition for her research includes the 2015 Geotechnique lecture and the 2016 Shamsher Prakash Research Award.
Catherine is very happy to support prospective students who are interested in applying for scholarships for PhD research in the area of particulate soil behaviour. A list of scholarships for studying at Imperial College is here. If you are interested please contact Catherine who can support you through the application process. Catherine is also happy to discuss post-doctoral fellowship opportunities with interested researchers.
Most of Catherine's students have had a background in civil engineering, but her group has included physicists, mathematicians and mechanical engineers.On two occasions her PhD students have nominated her for an Imperial College London Student Choice Supervision Award. In 2021 Catherine was presented with an Imperial College London President’s Awards for Teaching Innovation.
Catherine has authored a well known textbook called Particulate DEM: A geomechanics perspective, which was published by Taylor and Francis in 2011. Kiichi Suzuki translated a Japanese language edition this book.
Areas of Expertise:
Discrete element modelling, laboratory validation of discrete element models, development of discrete element analysis tools, micromechanics of granular material response, micro-computed tomography, characterisation of granular materials.
NEWS:
Catherine is a keynote speaker at CHOPS2024.
Catherine presented at the UC Berkeley Geosystems Distinguished Lecture Series in 2024
Catherine was invited to be a speaker at the from the Geotechnique 75 Anniversary Event in Oct 2023 .
Catherine is honoured to have been delighted to deliver the 2023 Alert Geomechanics Special Lecture.
Catherine is delighted to have been invited as a keynote speaker at the 2023 ASCE EMI conference in Atlanta.
Catherine presented at the June 2022 Gordon Research Conference on Particulate Systems Across Scales: From Colloidal Science to Geophysics
Catherine delivered a key note entitled Particle Scale Modelling in Soil Mechanics: Stiffness, strength, and seepage at the Particles 2019 conference.
Catherine delivered a keynote entitled DEM, dams and dikes at the DEM8 conference in July 2019.
DEGREES
- PhDUniversity of California, Berkeley, United States
- MEngScUniversity College Cork, Ireland (UCC), Ireland
- BEng (Civil)University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
FACULTY
- Faculty of Engineering
POSITION NAME
- Professor of Particulate Soil Mechanics