Susan A. Bernal

Susan Andrea Bernal López (born 1982) is a Colombian materials scientist who is Professor of Sustainable Construction Materials at the 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 Rosenhain Medal and Prize.

Early life and education Bernal was born in Bogotá, Colombia. She was an undergraduate and postgraduate student at the 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, a Professor of Materials Science, on a number of papers and they registered a patent together. During her doctorate she carried out two internships, one supported by the United States Department of Energy to work at the Argonne National Laboratory, and one at the University of Melbourne.

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

In 2018, Bernal moved to the University of Leeds, where she continued to develop novel cements and concretes that are more sustainable and durable. 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". This paper was published by Science Direct in their January 2025 issue, and was written alongside Zengliang Yue and Yuvaraj Dhandapani, who were also employed at the University of Leeds.

Awards and recognitions 2005 Colombian Innovation Agency (COLCIENCIAS) Scholarship 2008 Walter Mangold Trust Fund scholarship 2019 Institution of Civil Engineers Advances in Cement Research Prize 2020 IOM3 Rosenhain Medal and Prize 2021 Materials Research Society Kavli Early Career Lectureship in Materials Science 2022 RILEM Robert L'Hermite Medal 2024 RILEM Fellow

Selected publications