Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of Engineering and professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a distinguished lifetime honor within the scientific community.
Culligan’s expertise is in geo-environmental engineering, with a focus on sustainable urban infrastructure, social networks and the application of advanced measurement and sensing technologies to improve water, energy and environmental management.
She is recognized for advancing the understanding of the physical mechanisms governing porous media flow and transport, emphasizing knowledge generation in areas spanning from groundwater protection to energy dissipation and urban water management.
Much of her current research is exploring how green infrastructure can make cities cleaner, healthier, and more enjoyable places to live. She also has worked to improve understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing water and contaminant flows in soils and aquifer systems. Her work on building energy explores intersections between residential energy use, human behavior, and policy.
Culligan’s work transcends a variety of research fields, including water resources, urban design, policy, data science, and human behavior. She has served on the National Academies Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board as well as on the board of Governors of the ASCE’s Geo-Institute. She also has chaired the National Academies Standing Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering.
Culligan is the author of seven books, seven book chapters, and more than 180 technical articles. She has also been recognized as a Fellow of both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the British Institution of Civil Engineers. In 2021 she was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers Geo-Institute’s 2021 H. Bolton Seed Medal for her cumulative distinguished contributions in “expanding the boundaries of geo-environmental and sustainability engineering to enhance human health and the environment.”
Culligan has served as the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame since August 2020.
New AAAS fellows will be recognized at a forum at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., on September 1, 2024. Other Notre Dame faculty appointed AAAS fellows this year include Peter Burns and Nitesh Chawla in the College of Engineering and Elizabeth A. Archie and Nathan G. Swenson in the College of Science.
— Notre Dame Engineering