Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos

Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where she also serves as Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. Her research focuses on assessing and mitigating the impact of multi-hazard stressors on geotechnical engineering infrastructure, addressing challenges including age-related deterioration, population growth and densification, natural and manmade hazards, and evolving demands from climate change.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2008)
• MSc. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (2004)
• Ptychion in Civil Engineering from the University of Patras, Greece (2003)

Professor Athanasopoulos-Zekkos' research spans two major interconnected thrusts. The first focuses on geotechnical earthquake engineering and soil dynamics, developing new methodologies for soil dynamics problems such as soil liquefaction hazard assessment and using innovative materials to solve challenging problems under dynamic loading. Her second research thrust aims to improve resiliency of flood protection systems and soil structures under extreme loading like hurricanes and earthquakes through the development of new analytical and design solutions. Current projects include investigating liquefaction triggering and residual strength in gravelly soils, transportation asset management for retaining wall structures, and improving networking among geotechnical engineering faculty.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards:

• National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2013)
• Thomas Middlebrooks Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2015)
• Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award from ASCE (2015)
• 30th Annual Mueser Rutledge Memorial Lecturer (2020)
• TC203 Young Researcher Award from the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (2020)

Professor Athanasopoulos-Zekkos is actively involved in mentoring students and has taught numerous courses including CEE 175 (Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering), CEE 270 (Advanced Geomechanics), and CEE 275 (Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering) at UC Berkeley. She has received recognition for her teaching excellence, including the Excellence in Teaching Award from Chi Epsilon Great Lakes District (2016). Her professional service includes roles as Associate Editor for the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and leadership positions in various technical committees focusing on geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, and levee systems.