Geosystems Research
Geosystems engineering merges geotechnics, geomaterials, geophysics, geochemistry, geomechanics, and geology and focuses on the behavior of natural materials in engineered systems. The Geosystems Engineering Program at Georgia Tech encompasses both traditional and emerging topics in the field, including advanced techniques for site and material characterization; constitutive and micromechanical modeling; natural and man-made hazard mitigation; engineered soils; geoenvironmental engineering; extraterrestial, petroleum, and mining geomechanics; forward and inverse site response analysis and dynamic soil-foundation-structure interaction; and foundation design, slope stability, and excavation support; pavement engineering and management; GIS and image processing technology. The program comprises seven full-time faculty, as well as a number of adjunct and visiting faculty, and more than 40 postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. An active program of fundamental and applied research using analytical, numerical, and experimental methods is supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Energy, Mid-America Earthquake Center, Georgia Department of Transportation, mining and oil companies, and other private industries. Graduate students may select from more than 15 graduate course offerings, engage in research and teaching via graduate assistantships, and participate in a wide range of professional development and social activities coordinated by the Georgia Tech Geotechnical Society.