Johan Alexandre Philippe GaumeI started my scientific career in 2008 at the Grenoble University in the IRSTEA laboratory where I did my master's thesis on the rheology of dense granular materials using the discrete element method. In the same lab, I followed with a PhD on the numerical modeling of the release depth of extreme avalanches using a combined mechanical-statistical approach and spatial extreme statistics. In 2013 I obtained a postdoc position at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos where I was in charge of developing and applying numerical models to improve the evaluation of avalanche release conditions and thus avalanche forecasting. While my PhD was mostly theoretical and numerical, my postdoc in Davos allowed me to gain a practical expertise by participating in laboratory and field experiments which helped to validate the models I develop. In 2016, I was awarded a SNF grant to work as a research and teaching associate in CRYOS at EPFL on the multiscale modeling of snow and avalanche processes. I developed discrete approaches to model snow micro-structure deformation and failure in order to evaluate constitutive snow models to be used at a larger scale in continuum models. I also developed numerical models for wind-driven snow transport. In 2017, I was a Visiting Scholar at UCLA to work on a Material Point Method (MPM) to simulate both the initiation and propagation of snow avalanches in a unified manner. The UCLA MPM model was initially developed for the Disney movie "Frozen" and has been modified and enriched based on Critical State Soil Mechanics to model the release and flow of slab avalanches. The results of this collaboration have been published in Nature Communications. In 2018, I was awarded the SNF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship and became professor at EPFL and head of SLAB, the Snow and Avalanche Simulation Laboratory. At SLAB, we study micro-mechanical failure and fracture propagation of porous brittle solids, with applications in snow slab avalanche release. We also simulate avalanche dynamics and flow regime transitions over complex 3D terrain through the development of new models (depth-resolved and depth-averaged) based on MPM.In 2020, I obtained a SPARK grant to develop a new approach to simulate and better understand complex process chains in gravitational mass movements, including permafrost instabilities, rock, snow and ice avalanches and transitions to debris flows.
David Andrew BarryResearch InterestsSubsurface hydrology, constructed wetlands, ecological engineering, in particular contaminant transport and remediation of soil and groundwater; more generally, models of hydrological and vadose zone processes; application of mathematical methods to hydrological processes; coastal zone sediment transport, aquifer-coastal ocean interactions; hydrodynamics and modelling of lakes.
Véronique MichaudBackground: 1994 Habilitation à diriger des recherches ( INPG, France) 1991 PhD in Materials Engineering ( MIT, USA) 1987 Ingénieur Civil des Mines ( Ecole des Mines de Paris, France) Activités: Depuis Janvier 2018: Vice-Doyenne de la faculté des ingénieurs, en charge de l'éducation. Juin 2012-Dec.2017: Directrice de la Section Science et Génie des Matériaux Depuis Avril 2017, Professeur Associée EPFL 2009-2017 : Professeur Titulaire at EPFL 1997-2009 : collaboratrice Scientifique EPFL 1994-1997 : Chef de Travaux au laboratoire MSS-MAT, Ecole Centrale Paris (France) 1991-1994 : Post-doctoral research associate, MIT (USA) Environ 300 publications of which 140 in peer-reviewed journals
Laurent VullietFORMATION 2016 Board Member Certificate, Swiss Board School, Switzerland 2008 AMP (Advanced Management Program), INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France 1986 PhD (Dr sc. tech.), EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland 1980 Ms, Civil Engineering (Dipl. Bauing. ETH), ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland ACTIVITES PROFESSIONNELLES 2008 - 2015 CEO, BG Consulting Engineers, Lausanne, Switzerland. 2001 - 2008 Dean, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole polytechnique fédérale, Lausanne (EPFL) 1999 - 2001 Head, Civil Engineering Department, EPFL 1994 - Present Professor, EPFL. Director of the Soil Mechanics Laboratory (1994-2008). Promoted from Associate to Full Professor in 1996. Part-time position since 2008 1989 - 1993 Senior Engineer, De Cérenville Géotechnique SA, Ecublens, Switzerland 1987 - 1989 Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA 1986 Invited Researcher, Laboratoire central des ponts et chaussées (LCPC), Paris, France 1981 - 1986 Research assistant, and PhD student, Soil Mechanics Laboratory (LMS), EPFL. Thesis on the modeling of natural creeping slopes. Co-advisors Prof. E. Recordon (EPFL) and Prof. K. Hutter (TU Darmstadt) BOARDS / COUNCILS - Member of the Board of Directors, Implenia, Dietlikon, Switzerland (2016 - present) - Member of the Board of Directors, BG Consulting Engineers, Lausanne (2006 - 2015) - Vice-President, Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA). 2009-2013. - Member, Foundation Council, Foundation Les Bois Chamblard, financing research in Environmental Sciences at EPFL (focusing on bio-diversity). 2003-present - Member, Foundation Council of the Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes (PPUR), Lausanne. 1995-present - Member, Stiftungsrat der Präventionsstiftung der KGV (a Swiss foundation for the financing of applied research in the domain of natural risks from Cantonal Building Insurances). 2003-2008 - Member of the Board of Directors, Stump Bohr AG, Nänikon. 1998 2001 PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES - Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) - American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) - International Association for Computer Meth. and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG) - International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) - International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) - Swiss Society for Soil and Rock Mechanics (SSMSR) - Swiss Society for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics (SGEB) SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES - Swiss National Science Foundation (NSF): member of the Foundation Council and of the Electoral Commission (1996-2003) - Extra-Parliamentary National Commission on Natural Disasters (PLANAT): member of the Commission 1997-2007 (member of the Executive Board from 1997 to 2000) - Natural Hazards Competence Centre CENAT (ETH Domain): founder member and member of the Board of Directors (1995-2007) - Alliance of European Research Laboratories (ALERT), member of the Board of Directors (1995-2009) - Beratende Kommission Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL): member (2000-2004) - Centro Stefano Franscini (CSF, Monte Verità): member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (1997-2007) - EPFL Press and Information Commission (CPI). Member 1994-94, President 1995-2000 EDITORIAL BOARDS - Adjunct Editor-in-Chief, Revue française de génie civil (Hermès); founder member (1996-Present). Cette revue est devenue "European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering" - Editorial Advisory Board, Int. J. Num. Analyt. Meth. in Geomech., John Wiley (1997-2009). - Editorial Board, Int. J. of Geomechanics (2000-2009). - Editorial Board, Computer & Geotechnics, Elsevier (2001-2009). - Editorial Board, Rivista Italiana di Geotecnica (1997-2009).
Eugen Brühwilerbirth date: 19.11.1958 nationality: Swiss (native from Dussnang, Canton of Thurgau) Education : - July 1988 : doctoral degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland with a thesis entitled Fracture mechanics of dam concrete subjected to quasi-static and seismic loading conditions - December 1983 : civil engineering diploma (university degree) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland Professional Experience : - Since 1st April 1995 : Professor of Structural Engineering at EPFL and Head of the Laboratory of Maintenance, Construction and Safety for Civil Structures (MCS) (often considered being the first chair worldwide devoted exclusively to existing civil structures). - 1991-94 Project Manager and structural engineer with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Division of Bridges and Structures, Zurich: Monitoring and maintenance of bridges and structures, Project manager and checking engineer for the construction of new bridges and rehabilitation of existing bridges. - 1989/90 Research associate at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA : Fracture mechanics of concrete and fracture of concrete dams. - 1986-88 Doctoral student at EPFL-LMC (Building Materials, Prof. Wittmann) : Fracture mechanics of concrete, fracture of concrete dams under seismic loading - 1984/85 Research engineer at EPFL-ICOM (Steel Structures, Prof. Badoux and Prof. Hirt) : Fatigue behaviour and fracture mechanics of riveted bridges
Dimitrios LignosProf. Lignos joined the École Polytechnique Féderale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 2016 from McGill University in Canada where he was a tenured Associate Professor and a William Dawson Scholar for Infrastructure Resilience. He holds a diploma (National Technical University of Athens, NTUA, 2003), M.S. (Stanford University, 2004) and Ph.D. (Stanford University, 2008). In addition, he was a post-doctoral scientist at Stanford University (2009) and in Kyoto University (2010). Prof. Lignos teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in seismic design, nonlinear behaviour of steel and composite structures as well as supplemental damping systems, Structural Stability, Nonlinear Analysis and Performance-based Earthquake Engineering. His awards for teaching, research and service in Civil Engineering include the 2011 Outstanding Teaching Award (Faculty of Engineering, McGill University), as well as the Outstanding reviewer (2012, 2013) award from ASCE, the 2013 State-of-the-Art in Civil Engineering Award by ASCE and the 2014 Christophe Pierre Award for Research Excellence - Early Career. Just recently, he received the 2019 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from ASCE for significant contributions in developing state of the art methods to simulate extreme limit states in steel structures.Prof. Lignos is a member of ASCE and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. He acts as an Associate Editor for Metal Structures and Seismic Effects of the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering. He joined the Editorial Board of Earthquake Spectra and Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics International journals. He serves as an acting member of the CEN/TC 250/SC 8/WG 2 and has been selected as a member of the Project Team (PT2) for the Eurocode 8-Part 1 Current Revisions for Steel and Composite Structures. He is also a member of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) S16 technical committee for Steel Structures. Prof. Lignos is involved as a NEHRP consultant in numerous research-to-practice projects related to the behaviour and nonlinear modelling and analysis of structures applicable to the engineering practice through the Applied Technology Council (ATC). Detailed Curriculum Vitae (last update September 2018)
