Rate My Professor Khoi Nguyen

Dr. Khoi Nguyen serves as a Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering within the School of Civil Engineering and Construction, College of Engineering and Information Technology at Adelaide University. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering from the University of South Australia in 2017, focusing his dissertation on ‘Critical state behaviour of granular materials and associated micro-mechanics: A DEM study’, which integrated advanced laboratory testing and discrete element modeling (DEM) of granular materials. Prior to this, he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering from the same university between 2010 and 2013. Following his PhD, Nguyen held positions as a research associate and teaching academic across soil mechanics, geotechnical engineering, and earthquake engineering disciplines. Since 2019, he has been a Lecturer at what was then the University of South Australia, now integrated into Adelaide University, where he coordinates courses and delivers lectures in STEM fields.

Nguyen's research expertise encompasses civil geotechnical engineering and geological hazards including earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity. His work addresses key geotechnical challenges such as slope stability, foundation design, and soil liquefaction, utilizing critical state soil mechanics theory, micro-mechanics, and numerical methods like DEM and FEM. Notable investigations include soil-water and soil-structure interactions, earthquake engineering, and sand liquefaction behavior. He has authored several influential publications, such as "The critical state behaviour of granular material in triaxial and direct simple shear condition: A DEM approach" (Computers and Geotechnics, 2021), "How particle shape affects the critical state, triggering of instability and dilatancy of granular materials: Results from a DEM study" (Géotechnique, 2021), "Undrained behaviour of granular material and the role of fabric in isotropic and K0 consolidations: DEM approach" (Géotechnique, 2017), and "Characteristic behavior of drained and undrained triaxial compression tests: DEM study" (Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2018). His contributions have earned him awards including the Best Early Career Research Award in STEM and Best Early Career Teacher Award in STEM (both 2023, University of South Australia), Best Research Team Award in STEM (2023 and 2025), Outstanding Reviewer Award from Geotechnical Research (2021), and recognition in the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering's Editor’s Choice Collection (2021). Additionally, Nguyen supervises PhD candidates on advanced topics in granular materials and constitutive modeling, collaborates with industry partners like the Building and Plumbing Commission, and holds editorial roles as Associate Editor for Geotechnical Research (ICE Publishing) since 2023 and guest editor for various special issues.