As we mark International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June, CSIC and the Civil Engineering Division at the Department of Engineering are proud to celebrate the achievements of Professor Giulia Viggiani, an internationally respected expert in geotechnical engineering and the first woman to lead the Civil Engineering Division at the University of Cambridge.
Professor Viggiani joined the Department of Engineering in 2017 as Professor of Infrastructure Geotechnics, bringing with her a distinguished record of research, leadership, and practice in underground construction, soil-structure interaction, and foundation engineering. Her appointment in 2024 as Division Head represents a significant milestone for the Department and highlights the growing role of women in leadership across the engineering disciplines.
It is an honour to lead a division with such a rich history of innovation. I hope my role sends a positive message to young women considering a career in engineering—that they belong here, and their contributions are vital” Professor Giulia Viggiani.
Educated in Italy and the UK, Professor Viggiani holds a Laurea in Civil Engineering from Università di Napoli Federico II and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from City University, London. Prior to joining Cambridge, she was Full Professor of Geotechnics at Università di Roma Tor Vergata, where she also served as Head of the Board of Studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering. At Cambridge Professor Viggiani is also a Professorial Fellow at Corpus Christi College where she is Director of Studies in Engineering.
Professor Viggiani is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of engineers, both within Cambridge and across the international community.
“One of the most rewarding parts of my role is mentoring students and researchers. Watching their confidence grow and their ideas take shape is a reminder of why this work matters.”
Her contributions to engineering practice are wide-ranging and impactful. She has worked on some of Europe’s most challenging infrastructure projects, including the stabilisation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the construction of major underground lines in Naples and Rome, and the design of the proposed Strait of Messina Bridge.
Professor Viggiani is also deeply engaged in the international engineering community. She currently chairs the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering's Technical Committee on Underground Construction in Soft Ground, and she has held visiting positions at the University of Minnesota, Imperial College London, and the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig.
Her leadership within the Civil Engineering Division continues to inspire students, researchers, and colleagues alike. As we celebrate the contributions of women engineers past and present, Professor Viggiani’s example stands as a reminder of the excellence, innovation, and commitment to public good that define the Cambridge Engineering community.