PSM increase their support for Geotechnical Engineering
UNSW Sydney gratefully acknowledges the generous support of PSM to advance research in geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics through the PSM Professor and the PSM Senior Lecturer academic positions.
For fifteen years leading geotechnical consultancy PSM have supported an academic position at UNSW Civil & Environmental Engineering – with CIES academic Dr Kurt Douglas filling that role as the PSM Senior Lecturer of Rock Mechanics.
The relationship allowed PSM to have direct access to an academic expert ‘on tap’ while UNSW kept in direct contact with leading geotechnical practitioners, assisting with and learning from their challenges in an ever-changing industry.
In September 2022 PSM stepped up their support to add a new Professorship and CIES Deputy Director Scientia Professor Nasser Khalili is proud to take on the new mantle of PSM Professor. “PSM are a cutting-edge, innovative company” he says, “who are constantly raising the bar in geotechnical design. CIES has many links with them, through shared industry research projects and personnel, and they have employed many of our best students. I’m delighted that the relationship continues to deepen and expand through this new Professorship. “
“UNSW are leaders in geotechnical engineering education and research and the teaching and research team at CIES have made major contributions to the profession over many years,” says Mark Fowler, PSM’s Managing Director. “By supporting these academic roles, we are giving something back.”
PSM Professor Nasser Khalili is an international leader in geotechnical engineering, computational geomechanics and unsaturated soil mechanics. His work encompasses roads, tunnels, mines, dams, earthquake engineering and groundwater projects. He is the Director of the ARC Industry Transformation Research Hub for Resilient and Intelligent Infrastructure Systems (RIIS) (NSW).
Dr Douglas’s expertise covers rock mass strength and deformation prediction, spillway erosion assessment and piping within embankment dams. His research looks at how to better predict the properties of rock so that foundations, tunnels, slopes and dams can be more efficiently designed.
Our thanks again to PSM, rock brothers!
