Ellen M. Rathje
Associate Professor
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
J. Neils Thompson Centennial Teaching Fellowship in Civil Engineering
Phone: (512) 232-3683
Fax: (512) 471-6548
Email: e.rathje@mail.utexas.edu
Dr. Ellen M. Rathje earned her Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997. She joined the faculty of the Cockrell School of Engineering in 1998. The next year, Rathje won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to study soil liquefaction characteristics.
Rathje studies geotechnical soil hazards associated with earthquakes. She uses analytical techniques, experimental studies and field case histories to understand the geotechnical effects of earthquakes. Specifically, her interests include soil liquefaction, in which earthquake shaking causes soils to essentially turn into quicksand, the effect of soil conditions on earthquake shaking and earthquake-induced landslides. In addition, Rathje researches the use of remote sensing in documenting earthquake effects.
Research interests:
- Seismic hazards, including ground failure, soil liquefaction and ground remediation
- Engineering seismology
- Field studies of earthquake effects
- Remote sensing