Doctor, Université Grenoble Alpes, France
Alice Di Donna, born on August 7th, 1985, is an Italian citizen and an accomplished academic in civil and mechanical engineering. With a robust career centered around energy geostructures and geotechnical engineering, she currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Grenoble Alpes. Her professional journey reflects a blend of teaching, research, and practical engineering experience.
Profile
Scopus
Education 🎓
Alice earned her PhD in Mechanics from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2014 with a thesis on “Thermo-mechanical aspects of energy piles.” She holds an MEng in Civil Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, where she graduated with honors in 2009. Additionally, she completed an MSc in Mechanics, Energy, and Solid Modelling through the Erasmus Program at Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France.
Experience 💼
Since 2017, Alice has been an Assistant Professor at the University of Grenoble Alpes. Prior to this, she was a Post-Doctoral Research and Teaching Associate at Politecnico di Torino from 2014 to 2017, where she also collaborated professionally with Teknema Progetti srl. Her work has consistently focused on THM coupled behavior of geomaterials and energy geostructures.
Research Interests 🔬
Alice’s research interests are deeply rooted in the study of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behavior of geomaterials, energy geostructures, and the broader applications of geothermal energy in civil engineering. Her work often intersects with urban planning and the sustainable use of geothermal resources.
Awards 🏆
Alice has been recognized for her contributions to geotechnical engineering with several awards, including the prestigious Scott Sloan Best Paper Award in 2023 and the Jean Kerisel Award in 2020. She has also been invited to deliver keynote lectures and has been acknowledged for her innovative research on energy geostructures.
Publications 📚
Di Donna, A., Rotta Loria, A., Laloui, L. (2016). Numerical study of the response of a group of energy piles under different combinations of thermo-mechanical loads. Computers and Geotechnics, 72, 126-142. Cited by 75 articles
Laloui, L., Di Donna, A. (2013). Energy geostructures: Innovation in underground engineering. John Wiley & Sons. Cited by 150 articles
Di Donna, A., Cecinato, F., Loveridge, F., Barla, M. (2017). Energy performance of diaphragm walls used as heat exchangers. Proceeding of the ICE, Geotechnical Engineering. Cited by 50 articles