Sky’s the limit for soil expert

Published On Fri 20 Sep 2019 by Jonathan Watson

An expert in soil mechanics at the University of Dundee is ploughing a furrow of success after receiving a major international honour.

Dr Matteo Ciantia, from the University’s School of Science and Engineering, has been named as the recipient of this year’s Bright Spark award by the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).

The honour, presented to distinguished young members of the society, has allowed 33-year-old Dr Ciantia to present his work at the European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering in Reykjavik.

“The ISSMGE is one of the world’s most distinguished professional bodies for engineers and to have my research recognised in this way is a fantastic honour,” he said.

“Dundee is already recognised as a centre for excellence in the field of engineering, so to deliver my first keynote speech in Iceland while representing the University was an incredibly proud moment.”

Dr Ciantia joined the University of Dundee as a Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering in August 2017. Having studied previously at Italy’s Politecnico Di Milano and the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain, he continued his research at Imperial College for two years after being awarded a prestigious Research Fellowship at the London institution.

Since arriving in Dundee his research work has focused on theoretical soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and environmental geomechanics.

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