Jorge Macedo

Portrait of Jorge Macedo in a brown blazer, a striped white dress shirt and a patterned blue tie
Geosystems Engineering
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Publications

Jorge Macedo

Associate Professor
Frederick L. Olmsted Early-Career Professor
Email Address
jorge.macedo@ce.gatech.edu
Telephone
404.385.0143
Office Building
Mason
Office Room Number
2283
Biography

Jorge Macedo, Ph.D., P.E., is an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he has been a faculty member since 2018 and currently holds the Frederick Olmsted Early Career Professorship. His research focuses on extreme events engineering, with an emphasis on earthquakes, mining geotechnics, and AI-driven, physics-informed engineering to advance performance-based assessments of critical infrastructure.

His cross-disciplinary research program has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), state agencies including the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), as well as industry partners. In 2022, Dr. Macedo received the prestigious NSF CAREER Award for his work at the intersection of mining geotechnics and data science. He has also received the Young Researcher Award from the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), along with multiple research and teaching awards from Georgia Tech and other institutions. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Macedo has extensive industry experience, serving as a subject matter expert (SME) and member of International Technical Review Boards (ITRBs) for major global mining projects. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for Earthquake Spectra and the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (JGGE), among other professional service roles.

Research

Dr. Macedo’s research focuses on extreme events engineering, with an emphasis on earthquakes, mining geotechnics, and AI-driven, physics-informed engineering to advance performance-based assessments of critical infrastructure.

Education
Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California Berkeley  2017
M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California Berkeley 2014
M.S.in Geosystems Engineering Peruvian National University of Engineering 2013
B.S.in Civil and Environmental Engineering Peruvian National University of Engineering 2013
Teaching

Dr. Macedo teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses focused on geosystems, data science, and extreme events engineering. He developed and leads a data analytics course that introduces students to foundational concepts in data science and artificial intelligence. He is also a strong advocate for innovative pedagogical approaches that effectively communicate engineering concepts to non-engineering audiences.

Distinctions & Awards
  • Selected global chair for the TC221 (Tailings and Mine Waste) committee of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.
  • Selected by the Frontiers in Built Environment Journal as a Rising Star in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
  • 2023 Young Researcher Award, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering -TC203 Committee.
  • 2023 Knight Piesold Research Award
  • 2023 Georgia Tech CEE Bill Schutz Junior Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching.
  • 2022 NSF CAREER award, National Science Foundation, United States.
  • 2022 Frederick L. Olmsted Early Career Professorship, Georgia Tech.
  • 2022 CEE Young Faculty Research Award, Georgia Tech.
  • 2021 Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE/JGGE Journal.
  • Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, University of California Berkeley.
  • 2014 Excellence Award for Doctoral Studies, Peruvian Government.
  • 2014 Jane Lewis Ph.D. Fellowship, University of California Berkeley.
  • 2013 Jane Lewis M.S. Fellowship, University of California Berkeley.
  • 2007 “Eduardo de Habich” Award. Summa Cum Laude, National University of Engineering, Peru.
Publications
  1. *Macedo, J., Abrahamson, N. (2026). Magnitude thresholds to evaluate the damage from induced-seismicity earthquakes to earth dyke structures. Frontiers in Built Environment Journal, Rising Stars in Geotechnical Engineering issue. Accepted for Publication.
  2. *Macedo, J., Torres, P., Santamarina, C. (2026). On the potential of nuclear magnetic resonance for assessing water content and saturation in mine tailings. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (ASCE/JGGE). Accepted for publication.
  3. *Bokkisa, V., Macedo, J., Arduino, P. (2026). On the integration of an ACST-based bounding surface model. Computer and Geotechnics (COGE) International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2026.107911.
  4. *Arnold, C., Macedo, J., Bray, J. (2026). Insights on the cyclic response of plastic and nonplastic mine tailings. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (SDEE) Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2025.109814.
  5. *Arnold, C., Macedo, J., Bray, J., Moug, D., Atalay, F., Bassal, P., Liu, C., Bikçe, M., Durgunoğlu, T. (2025). Field characterization of areas in İskenderun affected by liquefaction during the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. Earthquake Spectra (EERI) journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/87552930251378227. 
  6. *Liu. C., Macedo, J., Abrahamson, N.,  Kottke, A. (2025). A nonergodic ground motion model for Turkiye. Bulletin of Seismological Society of America (BSSA) Journal. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120250142
  7. *Liu, C., Macedo, J., Rodriguez, A. (2025). Leveraging Physics-Informed Neural Networks in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering: An Assessment on Seismic Site Response Analyses. Computer and Geotechnics (COGE) International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2025.107137
  8. *Bokkisa, V., Macedo, J. (2025). Challenges in NorSand to model CSD stress paths and proposed modifications. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2024-0546
  9. *Bokkisa, V., Macedo, J. (2025). Influence of anisotropic consolidation on the instability of loose granular soils under undrained and drained loading. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2023-0683.
  10. *Liu. C., Macedo, J., Abrahamson, N., Lacour, M., Gullerce, Z., Kottke, A., Ozacar, A. (2025). Modeling Path Effects Due to 3D Velocity Structure for Nonergodic Ground-Motion Models: A Case Study Using Turkish Ground-Motion Data. Bulletin of Seismological Society of America (BSSA) Journal. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120240055

Research Gate profile

In the News

A man poses in front of laboratory equipment

Jorge Macedo Selected for Young Researcher Award
28 February 2023

Assistant Professor Jorge Macedo has received the 2023 Young Researcher Award from the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering's (ISSMGE) Technical Committee on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering.