Distinguished Lecture Series
Mark your Calendars! - registration coming soon.
2026 44th Annual Geosystems Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series
& Professor Juan Pestana Memorial Event
Friday, May 8, 2026
Krutch Theater, Clark Kerr Campus at UC Berkeley
Alumni Reunion - Alumni class years 2016, 2006, 1996, 1986, 1976, and 1966 are especially invited to join us! Come reconnect with fellow colleagues to share your experiences, learn about the latest advancements in the field, and see how the future of engineering is being shaped. We look forward to seeing you!
The morning session will honor the accomplishments and many contributions of the late Professor Juan Pestana to the geotechnical community during his career with UC Berkeley and Geosyntec Consultants. Speakers for the morning session are expected to include:
- Chris Hunt (Geosyntec)
- Andrew Whittle (MIT)
- Giovanna Biscotti (NSF)
- Juan Mayoral (UNAM)
- Brian Carlton (NGI)
- Juan Perri (Exponent)
- Xavier Vera-Grunauer (Geoestudios Ecuador)
The afternoon session will be the 44th Annual Geosystems Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series, which will be followed by a Banquet honoring the 2026 Geosystems graduates. The featured speakers will be:
- Professor Norman Abrahamson (UC Berkeley)
- Professor Susan Burns (Georgia Tech)
- Professor Misko Cubrinovski (University of Canterbury)
Registration details will be posted soon.
Past Speakers
2024 – Kenichi Soga, Catherine O’Sullivan, Jorge Zornberg
2023 – Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, Greg Baecher, Suzanne Lacasse
2022 – Jonathan Bray, Ross Boulanger, Carlos Santamarina
2021 – Laurie Baise, Dimitrios Zekkos, Thomas O’Rourke
2020 – George Gazetas
2019 – R. Bonaparte, R. Salgado, J. Zornberg, R. Mitchell, P. Tringale, K. Soga, P. Gallagher, E. Kavazanjian, T. Durgunoglu, J. Ueng, C. Monismith, J. K. Mitchell
2018 – Chris Hunt, Giovanna Biscontin, Juan Pestana, Jon Bray, Eduardo Alonso
2017 – Jonathan Stewart, Robert Kayen, Robb Moss, Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos, Onder Cetin, Chang-Yu Ou, Raymond B. Seed
2016 – Kenichi Soga, Ellen Rathje, Susan Hubbard
2015 – Jorge Zornberg, Cino Viggiani, Raymond B. Seed
2014 – Michael F. Riemer, Dan Brown, Kohji Tokimatsu
2013 – Peter K. Robertson, Bernard Amadei, James W. Rector
2012 – Steven Kramer, Steven Glaser, Edward Kavazanjian
2011 – Angela G. Kupper, Jonathan D. Bray, Richard Finno
2010 – Norm Abrahamson, Lelio Mejia, Clyde Baker
2009 – Iraj Noorany, Thomas O’Rourke, Juan Pestana
2008 – Raymond B. Seed, Demetrious Koutsoftas, James K. Mitchell
2007 – Nicholas Sitar, Rudolph Bonaparte, Robert V. Whitman
2006 – R. Kerry Rowe, Brenda Bohlke, Robert Mair
2005 – Lloyd S. Cluff, John T. Christian, I. M. Idriss
2004 – Thomas O’Rourke, W. D. Liam Finn
2003 – Robert G. Bea, Peter Byrne, Mark Randolph
2002 – Ben C. Gerwick Jr., Mark D. Zoback, Suzanne Lacasse
2001 – Kenneth Stokoe II, Richard Goodman, Peter R. Vaughan
2000 – William Marcuson, Reuben Samuels, D. Salcedo / R. Sancio
1999 – Ghislain de Marsily, Michael W. O’Neill, Serge Leroueil
1998 – J. Michael Duncan, John Burland, Richard D. Woods
1997 – Ralph B. Peck, Georg Teutsch, Robert Koerner
1996 – M. Jamiolkowski, N. G. W. Cook, J. P. Giroud
1995 – G. Wayne Clough, David E. Daniel, Richard Goodman
1994 – Suzanne Lacasse, S. P. Neuman, K. Ishihara
1993 – Roy Allen Freeze, James K. Mitchell, Tor L. Brekke
1992 – J. Michael Duncan, Paul H. Gilbert, George F. Pinder
1991 – J. Barry Cooke, James K. Mitchell, Kaare Hoeg, Leslie Robertson
1990 – [Harry Bolton Seed Memorial Symposium]
1989 – John A. Cherry, Elio D’Appolonia, Harry G. Poulos
1988 – Harl P. Aldrich, John A. Franklin, Robert L. Schuster
1987 – James Coleman, Charles C. Ladd, Ronald F. Scott
1986 – Nilmar Janbu, Alfred J. Hendron, Franklin D. Patton
1985 – Charles Fairhurst, James K. Mitchell
1984 – John Lowe, Ronald F. Scott, Peter Wroth
1983 – Evert Hoek, Ralph B. Peck, Robert V. Whitman
