# Susan Bernal

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Susan_Bernal
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Susan_Bernal.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Bernal
> Source revision: 1317825678
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Susan Andrea Bernal López** (born 1982) is a Colombian [materials scientist](/source/Materials_scientist) who is Professor of Sustainable Construction Materials at the [University of Bath](/source/University_of_Bath). Her research considers design, development and characterisation of novel cements and concretes. She was awarded the 2020 [Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining](/source/Institute_of_Materials,_Minerals_and_Mining) Rosenhain Medal and Prize.

## Early life and education

Bernal was born in [Bogotá](/source/Bogot%C3%A1), Colombia. She was an undergraduate and postgraduate student at the [University of Valle](/source/University_of_Valle), where she worked on alkali-activated cements (so-called geopolymers). Specifically, her doctoral research considered the carbonation of concretes that are based on alkaline activated slag. She worked with [Ruby Mejía de Gutiérrez](/source/Ruby_Mej%C3%ADa_de_Guti%C3%A9rrez), a Professor of Materials Science,[1][2] on a number of papers and they registered a patent together.[1] During her doctorate she carried out two internships, one supported by the [United States Department of Energy](/source/United_States_Department_of_Energy) to work at the [Argonne National Laboratory](/source/Argonne_National_Laboratory), and one at the [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne).[2][3]

## Research and career

After graduating, Bernal moved to [Aarhus University](/source/Aarhus_University), where she spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the iNANO Instrument Center of the University of Aarhus (INANO).[3]

In 2010, Bernal moved to the University of Melbourne, where she continued to work on [geopolymers](/source/Geopolymer). Bernal was appointed as research fellow at the [University of Sheffield](/source/University_of_Sheffield) in 2012, where she investigated alternatives to conventional cements and concretes.[4] Concrete is one of the world's most popular building materials, and contributes to five[5] to eight percent of global [carbon dioxide emissions](/source/Carbon_dioxide_emission).[6] She was made a lecturer in 2015.

In 2018, Bernal moved to the [University of Leeds](/source/University_of_Leeds), where she continued to develop novel cements and concretes that are more sustainable and durable.[4] In particular, she made use of natural clays and industrial waste.[4] She joined the University of Leeds as an academic fellow and she became a professor there in 2019.[3] In 2024 she relocated to the [University of Bath](/source/University_of_Bath), as a Professor in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering.[7] Since the start of 2025, Bernal has been a part of numerous research papers, writing alongside some of her old colleagues from th University of Leeds. She took part in a paper called "Structural Alterations in Alkali-Sulfate-activated Slag Cement Pastes Induced by Natural and Accelerated Carbonation".[8] This paper was published by [Science Direct](/source/ScienceDirect) in their January 2025 issue, and was written alongside [Zengliang Yue](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zengliang-Yue-2) and [Yuvaraj Dhandapani](https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/faculty-engineering-physical-sciences/staff/8900/dr-yuvaraj-dhandapani), who were also employed at the University of Leeds.

## Awards and recognitions

- 2005 Colombian Innovation Agency (COLCIENCIAS) Scholarship[9]
- 2008 Walter Mangold Trust Fund scholarship[3]
- 2016 [University of Valle](/source/University_of_Valle) Distinguished Graduate Award[9]
- 2016 RILEM (*Réunion Internationale des Laboratoires et Experts des Matériaux, systèmes de construction et ouvrages*) Gustavo Colonnetti medal[10]
- 2019 [Institution of Civil Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Civil_Engineers) Advances in Cement Research Prize[11]
- 2020 [IOM3](/source/IOM3) Rosenhain Medal and Prize[12]
- 2021 [Materials Research Society](/source/Materials_Research_Society) Kavli Early Career Lectureship in Materials Science[13]
- 2022 RILEM Robert L'Hermite Medal[14]
- 2024 RILEM Fellow[15]

## Selected publications

- Wikidata item [Q61848737](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61848737)
- Wikidata item [Q61848742](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61848742)
- Wikidata item [Q61848767](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61848767)

## References

1. ["Grupo Investigación Materiales Compuestos"](http://investigaciongmc.univalle.edu.co/Ruby_Mejia.html). *investigaciongmc.univalle.edu.co*. Retrieved 2021-10-27.

1. ["Estudiante del Doctorado en Ingeniería obtiene beca para hacer estudios Posdoctorales en Dinamarca"](https://ingenieriainforma.blogspot.com/2009/06/la-estudiante-del-programa-de-doctorado.html). *Estudiante del Doctorado en Ingeniería obtiene beca para hacer estudios Posdoctorales en Dinamarca*. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

1. Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. ["Prof. Susan A Bernal | School of Civil Engineering | University of Leeds"](https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/staff/1502/prof-susan-a-bernal). *eps.leeds.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2021-10-25.

1. Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (24 April 2020). ["Civil engineering materials Professor wins prize for research into greener concrete"](https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/news/article/5633/civil-engineering-materials-professor-wins-prize-for-research-into-greener-concrete?fbclid=IwAR3zKo1ZECBxbcBum2Qt8rKOXCrSXOXVZxfJN0oczGkijBa-F8uSwwpTJhE). *eps.leeds.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

1. ["Cracks in the surface"](https://www.economist.com/business/2016/08/25/cracks-in-the-surface). *The Economist*. 2016-08-25. [ISSN 0013-0613](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0013-0613). Retrieved 2021-10-17.

1. J.G.J. Olivier, G. Janssens-Maenhout, J.A.H.W. Peters, [in global CO2 emissions](https://www.pbl.nl/sites/default/files/downloads/pbl-2020-trends-in-global-co2-and-total-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2019-report_4068.pdfTrends); 2012 Report, J.R.C. Ispra, The Hague, Netherlands, 2012

1. University of Bath. ["Profiles - Susan Bernal Lopez"](https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/susan-bernal-lopez). *bath.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2024-11-03.

1. Yue, Zengliang; Dhandapani, Yuvaraj; Bernal, Susan A. (2025-01-01). "Structural alterations in alkali-sulfate-activated slag cement pastes induced by natural and accelerated carbonation". *Cement and Concrete Research*. **187**. [doi:10.1016/j.cemconres.2024.107713](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2024.107713). [ISSN 0008-8846](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0008-8846)

1. Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. ["Prof. Susan A Bernal | School of Civil Engineering | University of Leeds"](https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/staff/1502/prof-susan-a-bernal). *eps.leeds.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

1. RILEM. ["RILEM – Honors & Awards"](https://www.rilem.net/gene/main.php?base=500181) (in French). *www.rilem.net*. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

1. ["2019 award winners I ICE Publishing News"](https://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/page/authors/awards-2019). *ICE Virtual Library*. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

1. IOM3. ["Award winners 2020"](https://www.iom3.org/events-awards/awards/awards-archive/iom3-awards-winners.html). *www.iom3.org*. Retrieved 2021-10-15.

1. ["2021 Kavli Early Career Lectureship in Materials Science"](https://materials.typepad.com/mrs_meeting_scene/2021/12/2021-kavli-early-career-lectureship-in-materials-science.html). *materials.typepad.com*. Retrieved 2022-10-06.

1. RILEM. ["2022 L'Hermite RILEM Medallist"](https://www.rilem.net/news/513). *www.rilem.net*. Retrieved 2022-10-06.

1. RILEM. ["2024 RILEM Honorary Members and Fellows"](https://www.rilem.net/news/2024-rilem-honorary-members-and-fellows-669). *www.rilem.net*. Retrieved 2024-11-03.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Susan Bernal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Bernal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Bernal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.