Catherine O'Sullivan


Catherine O'Sullivan is an Irish environmental engineer who is Professor of Particulate Soil Mechanics and Head of the Geotechnics Section at Imperial College London. She uses discrete element modelling to understand fundamental processes in sand and soils.
WWW profiles.imperial.ac.uk/c...

Early life and education

O'Sullivan is from Ireland. She was an undergraduate at University College Cork, and started a master's degree in soil mechanics. She spent six months working in a geotechnical engineering consultancy. She was awarded a scholarship to complete a master's degree in geotechnical engineering completed her doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley, where she developed discrete element methods to model granular materials. After graduating she moved to University College Dublin, where she spent two years as a College Lecturer.

Research and career

In 2004, O'Sullivan joined Imperial College London as a lecturer. She was promoted to Professor in 2017. Her research considers the behaviour of granular materials, including soil and sand.
In 2023, O'Sullivan became the first woman to be editor of the Journal of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering. She is enthusiastic about sustainability, and was involved with the development of a graduate course in geotechnical engineering for offshore renewables.

Awards and honours