Juan Pestana

Juan Pestana is a Professor of the Practice in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University’s School of Engineering and holds the title of Professor Emeritus from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Senior Principal at Geosyntec Consultants in Acton, Massachusetts, with over 35 years of expertise in geotechnical and geotechnical earthquake engineering. His research focuses on soil behavior, numerical modeling of geotechnical systems, and offshore geohazards such as submarine slides and liquefaction.

• Education: ScD, MSc, and BSc in Civil Engineering from MIT (1985–1994).

His research interests include geotechnical earthquake engineering, soil property characterization, numerical modeling for infrastructure (e.g., levees, dams, bridges), and seismic analysis. He has contributed to projects worldwide, with notable work on Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans flood protection systems and offshore oil and gas projects for PDVSA.

Recent publications emphasize liquefaction mechanisms, bio-cemented sands, and seismic site response modeling. His work bridges academic research and practical applications, addressing critical challenges in geotechnical infrastructure resilience.

• Teaching: Courses include Advanced Soil Mechanics, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, and numerical methods in geotechnical engineering at Tufts.
• Labs/Teams: Affiliated with Geosyntec Consultants and Advanced Geomechanical Modeling, Inc., focusing on innovative geotechnical solutions.