ASCE-GI Cross Country Lecture w/Dr. Carlos Santamarina

Join us on February 5, 2026 at University of California, Irvine for dinner, networking and a presentation on:

“Geotechnical Engineering in the Information Age: From Properties to Analysis & Design”

We are entering a transformative era in geotechnical engineering. For more than a century, our field has advanced through careful observation, physical insight, and methodical testing. Today, it faces a new landscape: pervasive sensing, advanced imaging and visualization, autonomous data collection, intelligent algorithms, vast computational power, and instantaneous information sharing. These unprecedented capabilities are catalysts for reimagining how we explore the subsurface, characterize geomaterials, and design in an increasingly complex world. As these rapid developments reshape our field, we must ensure that innovation strengthens, rather than erodes, the physical intuition that underpins our discipline, which can be threatened by overreliance on data-driven methods. The coming era invites us to rethink long-held assumptions and embrace a more integrated and anticipatory form of geotechnical engineering that is more adaptive and ultimately more equitable. The opportunity before us is clear: to elevate the quality and global consistency of geotechnical engineering everywhere and to set the stage for a new century of informed, innovative practice capable of addressing emerging challenges.

Carlos Santamarina is Professor and Clough Chair at Georgia Tech. He earned his undergraduate degree from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and completed graduate studies at the University of Maryland and Purdue University. He has held faculty positions at NYU-Poly, the University of Waterloo (Canada), KAUST (Saudi Arabia), and Georgia Tech. Santamarina’s research integrates experimental and numerical approaches to study the behavior of geomaterials, including sediments, fractured rocks, and complex fluids. A frequent keynote speaker, he has delivered the Terzaghi, Casagrande, and Bishop Lectures. He is a member of the Argentine National Academies and has received numerous honors, including ASTM’s Hogentogler Award, the Korean Geotechnical Society Award, and Saudi Arabia’s Tarek Al-Qasabi Award.

Program:

5:15-6:15pm: Dinner with open bar sponsored by Keller – enter the ISEB through either front or back entrance, registration is in lobby.

6:15pm: Opening remarks

6:30-7:30pm: Presentation

7:30pm: Q&A

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Location:

ISEB 1010 (Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building) (https://maps.app.goo.gl/U3bfS15CDGmDGUf68)

Parking:

Park by Plate is available at the adjacent parking lots 12 or 16 in General (Non AR) parking spots. This car park is $4/hr. Access is through E Peltason Dr. and S.Circle Drive. https://apps.parking.uci.edu/parkbyplate/s/purchase.cfm

Sponsored Parking:

If you don’t mind walking (~5 minutes), Sponsored Parking is available in the Anteater parking structure (https://map.uci.edu/?id=463#!m/367226?share) with access through East Peltason  Dr.

How to obtain a sponsored permit for this parking structure:

Obtain your permit at any open kiosk: Kiosk Hours – Kiosk Hours | Transportation and Distribution Services (please note that the kiosk at the Anteater Parking structure closes shortly after 5pm), i.e., if you arrive after 5, this permit would need to be picked up at another kiosk on campus. When arriving, please tell the attendant that you are with the reference Permit# 185868, ASCE-GI Cross Country Lecture, Prof. Anne Lemnitzer

Then proceed with the parking ticket to the parking structure and leave your car there and follow the walking directions in the map to the venue.