Susan Gourvenec is a British geoscientist who is Professor of Offshore Geotechnical Engineering and deputy director of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute at the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

. She was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...

in 2022.

Early life and education

Gourvenec studied engineering at

Queen Mary and Westfield Queen Mary University of London (QMUL, or informally QM, and previously Queen Mary and Westfield College) is a public university, public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of ...

, which is now part of

Queen Mary University of London , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

. She moved to the

for research studies. Her doctoral research considered geotechnical engineering, and the development of 3D

finite element limit analysis A finite element limit analysis (FELA) uses optimisation techniques to directly compute the upper or lower bound plastic collapse load (or limit load) for a mechanical system rather than time stepping to a collapse load, as might be undertaken wit ...

of wall installation. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, where she spent two years before going to

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. In Australia, Gourvenec worked at Advanced Geomechanics Pty, where she was a member of the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems.

Research and career

Gourvenec develops new technologies to understand ocean structures, including the seabed. These technologies include robotics, sensors and autonomous vehicles. She moved to the

in 2017, and was named a

Chair in Emerging Technologies. She ws elected Fellow of the

in 2022.

Selected publications

* * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gourvenec, Susan British geophysicists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Female Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Alumni of the University of Southampton