Susan E. Burns, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE is the Dwight H. Evans Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and interim Associate Vice President for Research Operations and Infrastructure at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She previously served twelve years as Associate School Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering, in positions as undergraduate chair and as administration and finance chair. Dr. Burns earned a B.C.E. Civil Engineering (‘90), M.S. Civil Engineering (‘96), M.S. Environmental Engineering (‘96), and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (‘97), all from Georgia Tech. Dr. Burns’ research focuses on applications in geoenvironmental engineering including sustainability and beneficial use of waste materials, bio-mediated ground improvement and fundamental chemical and engineering behavior of soils. Dr. Burns is a past member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine standing Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering, and has served on study two committees for the Academies: Assessment of the Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers and Corrosion of Buried Steel at New and In-Service Infrastructure. She is a past president of the United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research and is the 2025 president-elect of the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an organization of approximately 12,000 geoprofessionals working across the world.
Dr. Burns is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, and she was named the 2020 Engineer of the Year by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE-GA). In 2021, Dr. Burns received the Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award, which is Georgia Tech’s highest award for teaching.
PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
Georgia Institute of Technology
Interim Associate Vice President for Research Operations and Infrastructure 2025-present
Portfolio: facilitation and support of research; internally funded research programs in coordination with the colleges and interdisciplinary research institutes; research space and core facilities; research computing and data; and policy related to research administration and operations.
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dwight H. Evans Professor, 2022 – present
Associate Chair for Administration and Finance, 2018-2025
Georgia Power Distinguished Professor, 2013-2018
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs, 2013-2018
Professor, 2010-present
Associate Professor, 2004-2010
Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, 1992-1997
University of Virginia
Department of Civil Engineering
Associate Professor, 2003-2004
Assistant Professor, 1997-2003
Walton County Water and Sewerage Authority
Staff Engineer 1991-1992
EDUCATION
Georgia Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Civil Engineering (Geotechnical) Minor: Aqueous Geochemistry, 1997
M.S., Environmental Engineering, 1996
M.S., Civil Engineering (Geotechnical), 1996
B., Civil Engineering, 1990
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Registered Professional Engineer, 032847
Commonwealth of Virginia
PUBLICATIONS
Google Scholar Profile
SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS
100 Influential Women in Georgia Engineering, Engineering Georgia Magazine 2022, 2024
Fellow, Georgia Tech Faculty Executive Leadership Academy, 2022-2023
Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award, Georgia Tech, 2021
2020 Engineer of the Year, Georgia Society of Professional Engineers, NSPE-GA
CEE Appreciation Award, Georgia Institute of Technology (’12, ’20)
Class of 1940 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award (’14, ’16, ’17)
GT Provost’s Emerging Leaders Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, 16-17 cohort
CEE Senior Faculty Teaching Award, Georgia Institute of Technology 2015
Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers Elected, 2013
Georgia Power Distinguished Professor, CEE, Georgia Institute of Technology 2013-2018
CEE Interdisciplinary Research Award, Georgia Institute of Technology 2013
Class of 1934 Teaching Effectiveness Award 2012
Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award, University of Virginia 2001
Outstanding Faculty Advisor, American Society of Civil Engineers 2001
CAREER Development Award, National Science Foundation 2000-2004
Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni, Georgia Institute of Technology 2000
Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award, ASCE 2000
David Harrison III Award for Undergraduate Advising, University of Virginia 1999
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
American Society of Civil Engineers Geo-Institute Board of Governors, 2022-present
•President 2025-2026
•Vice-President 2024-2025
•Treasurer 2023-2024
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Service
•Committee on Corrosion of Buried Steel at New and In-Service Infrastructure 2020-2022
•Committee to Assess Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers 2005-2007
•Standing Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering 2002-2005
Accreditation and Assessment Reports
•Academic Program Review, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 120 pages, August, 2021.
•ABET Self Study for BS Civil Engineering Degree, 317 pages, July, 2014.
•ABET Self Study for BS Environmental Engineering Degree, 317 pages, July, 2014.
TEACHING, MENTORING, ACCESS, BELONGING, and OUTREACH
I actively work to promote underrepresented minorities within engineering, and roughly half of my PhD and MS students have come from underrepresented groups in engineering. Access, diversity, and inclusion are core values in my group, and I have been a member of multiple development programs:
Diversity and Inclusion Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2021-2022
GT Inclusive Leaders Academy, 2020 cohort
Class of 1969 Teaching Scholar, Georgia Institute of Technology 2009-2010
Class of 1969 Teaching Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology 2005-2006
University Teaching Fellow, University of Virginia 1999-2000