Patricia J. Culligan

About the Dean

Patricia Culligan became Dean of Notre Dame Engineering on August 1, 2020. She previously was Chair and Carleton Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University. While at Columbia, she was the founding associate director of Columbia’s Data Science Institute; a member of the Executive Committee of the Earth Institute; and Co-Founder of the Collaboratory@Columbia, which supports the development of cross-cutting curricula for a data-rich world. She also served as the vice dean of academic affairs for Columbia Engineering.

Culligan is a Chartered Engineer registered with the UK Engineering Council and a Fellow of  the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) the British Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 2021 she was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers Geo-Institute’s 2021 H. Bolton Seed Medal for her cumulative distinguished contributions in “expanding the boundaries of geo-environmental and sustainability engineering to enhance human health and the environment.” In 2024, she was elected to Distinguished Membership of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the highest honor ASCE can bestow.

Research Interests

Patricia Culligan’s expertise is in geo-environmental engineering. She focuses on sustainable urban infrastructure, social networks, and the application of advanced measurement and sensing technologies to improve water, energy, and environmental management. Much of her current research explores how green infrastructure can make cities cleaner, healthier, and more enjoyable places to live. She also has worked to improve understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing water and contaminant flows in soils and aquifer systems. Her work on building energy explores intersections between residential energy use, human behavior, and policy.

Culligan’s work transcends a variety of research fields, including water resources, urban design, policy, data science, and human behavior — all with an emphasis on seeking solutions to complex societal problems.

Culligan is an inaugural member of Government Accountability Office’s (GAO’s) Polaris Council, which advises the Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics (STAA) branch of GAO. She has served as a member of the National Academies Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board, chaired the National Academies Board of Earth Sciences and Resources Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering, and served on multiple National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) committees.

Culligan is the author of seven books, seven book chapters, and more than 180 technical articles. She is a lifelong advocate for broadening participation in STEM.