Susan Andrea Bernal López (born 1982) is a Colombian materials scientist who is Professor of Structural Materials at the University of Leeds. Her research considers design, development and characterisation of novel cements. She was awarded the 2020

Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a UK engineering institution whose activities encompass the whole materials cycle, from exploration and extraction, through characterisation, processing, forming, finishing and applicatio ...

Rosenhain Medal and Prize.

Early life and education

Bernal was born in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

, Colombia. She was an undergraduate and postgraduate student at the

University of Valle The University of Valle ( es, Universidad del Valle), also called Univalle, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It is the largest higher education inst ...

, where she worked on alkali-activated cements (so-called geopolymers). Specifically, her doctoral research considered the carbonation of concretes that are based on alkaline activated slag. She worked with Ruby Mejía de Gutiérrez, a Professor of Materials Science, on a number of papers and they registered a patent together. During her doctorate she carried out two internships, one supported by the United States Department of Energy to work at the

Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory is a science and engineering research United States Department of Energy National Labs, national laboratory operated by University of Chicago, UChicago Argonne LLC for the United States Department of Energy. The facil ...

, and one at the University of Melbourne. After graduating, Bernal moved to

Aarhus University Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

, where she spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the iNANO Instrument Center of the University of Aarhus (INANO).

Research and career

In 2010, Bernal moved to the University of Melbourne, where she became interested in

geopolymer Geopolymers are inorganic, typically ceramic, alumino-silicate forming long-range, covalently bonded, non-crystalline (amorphous) networks. Obsidian (volcanic glass) fragments are a component of some geopolymer blends. Commercially produced geopoly ...

s. Bernal was appointed as research fellow at the University of Sheffield in 2012, where she started working on alternatives to cement and concrete. Concrete is one of the world's most popular building materials, and contributes to five to eight percent of global

carbon dioxide emission Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...

s.J.G.J. Olivier, G. Janssens-Maenhout, J.A.H.W. Peters
in global CO2 emissions
2012 Report, J.R.C. Ispra, The Hague, Netherlands, 2012 She was made a lecturer in 2015. In 2018, Bernal moved to the University of Leeds, where she continued to develop novel cements and concretes that are more sustainable and durable. In particular, she made use of natural clays and industrial waste. She joined the University of Leeds as an academic fellow and she became a professor there in 2019.

Awards and recognitions

* 2005 Colombian Innovation Agency (COLCIENCIAS) Scholarship * 2008 Walter Mangold Trust Fund scholarship * 2016

Distinguished Graduate Award * 2016 RILEM (''Réunion Internationale des Laboratoires et Experts des Matériaux, systèmes de construction et ouvrages'') Gustavo Colonnetti medal * 2019 Institution of Civil Engineers Advances in Cement Research Prize * 2020 IOM3 Rosenhain Medal and Prize * 2021 Materials Research Society Kavli Early Career Lectureship in Materials Science * 2022 RILEM Robert L'Hermite Medal

Selected publications

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernal, Susan Colombian scientists Colombian women scientists University of Valle alumni Academics of the University of Leeds 1982 births Living people People from Bogotá