Bio

Dr. Brina Mortensen Montoya is interested in developing bio-mediated soil processes and improvement, and assessing how material characterization affects levee performance within the limit state framework. Dr. Montoya was selected as a North Carolina State University Outstanding Teacher, received an Alumni Outstanding Teacher award, and was elected to the Academy of Outstanding Teachers at the University in 2019.

She received her doctoral degree from the University of California, Davis in 2012. Before beginning her graduate studies, she worked as a geotechnical consulting engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she performed field and laboratory investigations and developed foundation designs and construction recommendations for residential, commercial, and governmental development projects. Brina Montoya is a licensed engineer in the state of California.

Area(s) of Expertise

Dr. Montoya's research interests involve developing bio-mediated stabilization approaches to improve the sustainability and resiliency of infrastructure. Applications of microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) on which she has focused include infrastructure subjected to natural hazards, such as earthquake-induced liquefaction and coastal/offshore erosion, and mitigating storage-related hazards of energy-related wastes. Specifically, her research program has focused on elucidating the performance of MICP cemented geomaterials, including: 1) shear response and volumetric behavior, 2) erosion behavior, and 3) physico-chemical influences of MICP.