Dr. Ujwalkumar D. Patil is an Associate Professor of Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering at the University of the District of Columbia, specializing in geotechnical engineering, unsaturated soil mechanics, and slope stability analysis. His research integrates experimental and computational geomechanics with biogeotechnics to develop sustainable solutions for infrastructure resilience, earning recognition through NSF-funded projects and impactful publications.
Experience
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington Master of Science in Civil Engineering, San Diego State University Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, North Maharashtra University
Roles
Associate Professor of Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering, UDC, 2023-Present Associate Professor of Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering, University of Guam, 2021-23 Assistant Professor of Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering, University of Guam, 2017-21 Post Doctoral Research Associate, University of Texas at Arlington, 2015-17 Geotechnical Staff Engineer, Terracon Inc., Tulsa Oklahoma, 2014-15
Courses Taught
Civil Engineering Materials – Lecture & Lab Foundation Design Introduction to Risk and Resiliency Principles of Geotechnical Engineering & Lab Civil Engineering Materials – Lecture & Lab Foundation Design Advanced Risk, Reliability, and Vulnerability Analysis Advanced Geotechnical Engineering Foundation Engineering Advanced Topics in Geotechnical Engineering
Expertise
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Geotechnical engineering; foundation engineering; unsaturated soil mechanics; experimental and constitutive modeling of saturated and unsaturated soils; biogeotechnics; computational geomechanics; expansive soils; landslides and slope stability analysis
Leadership
Member, ASCE’s Geotechnical Institute Technical Committee: Unsaturated Soils, 2018-Present Member, ASCE’s Geotechnical Institute Technical Committee: Soil Properties & Modeling, 2018-Present
Impact
Selected Publications
Patil, U.D., Yeo, MH., Demeulenaere, E., Mabagos, D., & Congress, S.S.C. (2024). Contribution of vetiver grass towards slope stability via mechanical root reinforcement. In H. Hazarika, S.K. Haigh, B. Chaudhary, M. Murai, & S. Manandhar (Eds.), Climate change adaptation from geotechnical perspectives.Springer.
Patil, U.D., Yeo, M. H., Ngo, T,, Banerjee, A., Sarat, S., &Congress, S.S.C. (2024). Characterization of vetiver root cohesion for improvement in stability of tropical hill slopes. Geo-Congress 2024.https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485354.002
Patil, U. D., Mabagos, D., Yeo, M. H., Congress, S. S. C., Shelton, A., & Demeulenaere, E. (2023). Improvement in stability of a tropical hillslope via mechanical root reinforcement. Geo-Congress 2023.https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484654.047
Patil, U. D., Shelton, A. J., Catahay, M., Kim, Y. S., & Congress, S. S. C. (2022). Role of vegetation in improving the stability of a tropical hill slope in Guam. Environmental Geotechnics, 9(8), 562-581. https://doi.org/10.1680/jenge.21.00064
Patil, U. D., Shelton III, A. J., & Aquino, E. (2021). Bioengineering solution to prevent rainfall-induced slope failures in tropical soil. Land, 10(3), 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030299
Selected Presentations
Patil, U. D. (2024). Characterization of vetiver root cohesion for improvement in stability of tropical hill slopes.Geo-Congress 2024, Vancouver, Canada.
Patil, U. D. (2023).Improvement in stability of a tropical hillslope via mechanical root reinforcement. Geo-Congress 2023, Los Angeles, California.
Patil, U. D. (2021). Effect of antecedent rainfall on slope failures in tropical mountainous environmental setting. Geo-Extreme 2021, Savannah, Georgia.
Selected Grants
National Science Foundation. (2022). Enhancement of research and educational infrastructure in climate change impact analysis for critical infrastructure systems protection using game theory.
U.S. Geological Survey. (2024). Assessment of saturated and unsaturated soil conditions for generation of urban runoff potential in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Department of Interior. (2020). Soil bioengineering techniques for restoration of slopes: An initiative towards maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems.
