Dr. Matthew Perras

Biography

Matthew Perras is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario. His research interests lie in Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, focusing on the behavior of brittle rocks and the influence of environmental factors on fracture mechanics processes. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, specializing in Geological Engineering with an emphasis on Geotechnical Engineering. After joining the Geotechnical Department of Hatch Ltd. in 2005, he worked on various projects including the award-winning Shikwamkwa Replacement Dam Project and the Niagara Tunnel Project, where he developed a keen interest in research related to anisotropic behavior of laminated sedimentary rocks and underground excavations. Matthew's PhD research, funded by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) Canada and NSERC-IPS, deepened his understanding of excavation damage zones. Before joining Lassonde in 2017, he was part of the Engineering Geology Group in the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He is dedicated to bridging the gap between Geological Engineering practice and research, a driving force behind his ongoing research initiatives, which have led to the publication of 30 journal and conference papers.

Research Interests