Meet the centre director

Distinguished Professor Indraratna is Australia’s leading transportation geotechnics researcher (H-index 67, Citations 23,419), and is recognised as a world-leading expert by both researchers and industry.

Introducing Buddhima Indraratna

Portait of Professor Buddhima Indraratna standing in front of some equipment

In July we appointed Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna as the new centre director to lead the UTS Transportation Research Centre. Under his pioneering leadership the centre is now positioned to become a global leader in Smart Transportation Infrastructure and Systems,

Distinguished Prof Buddhima Indraratna is a Civil Engineering graduate from Imperial College, London. Since his PhD (University of Alberta) in 1987, his contributions to geotechnical and railway engineering have been acknowledged through numerous national and international awards, including 1st Ralph Proctor Lecture and 4th Louis Menard Lecture of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). In 2009, he delivered the prestigious EH Davis Memorial Lecture of Australian Geomechanics Society for distinguished contributions to theory and practice of geomechanics.

For his pioneering contributions, he was honoured with the 2009 Business and Higher Education award by the Australian Government, 2011 Engineers Australia Transport Medal and 2015 Australasian Railway Technical Society’s Outstanding Individual Award. His numerous international awards include Thomas Telford Premium by the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), Robert Quigley Award by the Canadian Geotechnical Society, and 2017 Medal of Excellence for life-time contributions by the International Association of Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG)

Prof Indraratna currently leads numerous research projects and has attracted over $26 Million in research funding. He has been a consultant to various geotechnical and rail organisations worldwide such as Coffeys Geotechnics Arup, Sydney Trains, SKM, SMEC, Ministry of Transport Sri Lanka, Bangkok International Airport, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited. He has published over 800 papers including 10 books, over 400 journal papers, and 70 invited keynote papers in all continents. So far, he has supervised 65 PhD graduates and 35 Postdoctoral Fellows.  

Professor Indraratna is a Fellow of the prestigious Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), as well as a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), American Society of Civil Engineers (FASCE), and Geological Society of UK (FG).

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.