Our alumni from graduate and postgraduate education contribute in shaping the built society of the future. Meet some of our graduated doctors and find out more about their specific research focus and how they experienced their time at Chalmers!
Linda Cusumano, Construction Engineering and Management
Doctoral Degree in Autumn of 2025
"I have had five wonderful years at Chalmers, where I feel that I have truly developed. As an industrial PhD student, I have worked both in industry and academia during my studies, which has worked very well and has been a rewarding combination. Chalmers has given me a solid education and a large network within academia. At the same time, I have been able to contribute a much-appreciated industry perspective in the courses where I have taught. The highlights of my time at Chalmers have been the academic conferences I have attended, where I presented my research while also gaining a great deal of inspiration from other researchers."
About Linda's research
Linda conducted research on how the construction industry can work more systematically with requirement follow-up and verification, as well as use that type of data to improve tender design and planning. Linda's results show that different AI-supported and data-driven working methods in the tendering phase can facilitate requirement analysis, risk management, and knowledge feedback. This creates new opportunities for contractors to make better-informed decisions, improve the quality of tender design, and strengthen their competitiveness.
Xinyue Wang, Building Technology
Doctoral Degree in Autumn of 2025
"My time as a doctoral student was really fun. Of course, like all PhD journeys, there were times when I felt really frustrated, and there were times I felt proud and accomplished. Overall, it was an extraordinary experience. I grew a lot as a researcher and as a person, and i really enjoyed all the collaboration with colleagues here."
About Xinyue's research
Xinuye's research focused on using machine learning to conduct efficient early-stage building energy optimization. One of her most interesting findings is that you don’t need to have much data to develop a machine learning model to substitute for simulation engines, and that small datasets and simplified models are also enough.
Dorotea Caprio, Structural Engineering
Doctoral Degree in Autumn of 2025
"My time as a doctoral student could be summarised as a journey of discovery and self-discovery. It was meaningful and full of ups and downs, more than just advancing scientific knowledge; it truly changes who you are."
About Dorotea's research
Dorotea's research focus was timber connections in modern, complex timber structures, where she questioned whether the current stiffness-reduction rule at the ultimate limit state, as prescribed by EC5 and based on older test series, still suits today’s applications and connections. Through a large-scale experimental campaign and a new empirical-probabilistic model, Dorotea showed that a structure's safety depends on the stiffness-reduction rule, and that its probability of failure might be twice what is currently assumed. Dorotea and fellow researchers proposed regulations and model account for more design situations and extend to a broader range of real-world cases, better reflecting contemporary practice.
Johan Lagerkvist, Construction Engineering and Management
Doctoral Degree in Autumn of 2025
"It's been great! Of course, it is challenging to do a PhD, but it is also stimulating to be able to dive deep into so many exciting things. My work is interdisciplinary, so I've explored a lot of exciting topics (although I've actually learned how much I don't know). I have also been able to work more independently with good support from my supervisors and have presented a lot in different contexts. I have tried to work closely with the industry all the time, so I have learned how important it is to be able to communicate your research results so that it is both accessible and useful for the industry, and I really hope that what I have done will promote the use of GRO"
About Johan's research
Johan's research focused on improving the way we design and build bridges in infrastructure projects. The focus has been on increasing productivity and reducing the amount of material used in bridges. In his research, Johan has shown that there is potential to build bridges in less time and with fewer materials.
Fatima Hlal, Structural Engineering
Doctoral Degree in Autumn of 2025
"My time as a doctoral student at ACE has been a rewarding journey of both professional and personal growth. The research process was both challenging and fulfilling. Like any long journey, there were ups and downs along the way, but in the end, I’m satisfied with the results I achieved. It’s been an experience I will always value and that has prepared me well for future challenges."
About Fatima's research
Fatima's research introduces a sustainable bridge design concept using stainless steel corrugated web I-girders in composite road bridges. The concept combines the durability and corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel with the material efficiency of corrugated webs. The study demonstrates that this approach can narrow the cost gap between stainless and traditional carbon steel girders while achieving considerable saving in terms of weight, life-cycle cost, and environmental impact.
The work also addresses gaps in current standard by providing fatigue design recommendations for flange-to-web welded detail and proposing an improved flange buckling model for corrugated web girders. Overall, the research presented in this thesis brings the use of stainless steel in future bridge projects closer to practical implementation.
Divia Jimenez Encarnacion, Building Technology
Doctoral Degree in Autumn 2025
"My time as a PhD student was very eventful! There were plenty of obstacles to overcome, but also many wins to celebrate. Completing a PhD at Chalmers has not only made me a better researcher but also helped me grow as a person. These five years included collaborating with great researchers, traveling to new places to present my research, learning a lot from different courses, and making wonderful friends. It´s been a rich experience in every sense."
About Divia's research
Divia has focused on exploring the environmental sustainability potential of sharing household products. Sharing activities (for example, renting, exchanging, and buying second-hand tools, clothes, etc.) are often seen as inherently sustainable. However, in reality, many different factors need to align for sharing to achieve sustainable outcomes. Divia's research emphasized the importance of purchasing patterns before and after sharing. Namely, if you don’t stop buying new things to share them instead, or if you buy very impactful products and services with the money you save by sharing, then the environmental benefits of sharing are limited. The same applies to travel behavior – traveling long distances or frequently to retrieve shared products can undermine sustainability.
Divia has shown that in Gothenburg, which she has studied, these dynamics manifest in different ways. Certain demographic groups, such as women, younger individuals, and highly educated individuals, may be more willing to reduce their purchases and share instead. In some geographic areas, like the city outskirts, there may be a willingness to share, but fewer opportunities to do so with low-impact transportation modes. And the picture varies for specific products: clothes might be bought in large amounts but are less interesting for sharing, and vice versa for tools and hobby items. In some cases, the products that people most wanted to share were not easily accessible in the city.
Andreas Alhede, Structural Engineering
Doctoral Degree in the autumn of 2025
"It has truly been an amazing journey, full of challenges and rewards. There have been ups and downs, but those moments are part of what has shaped both my research and myself. I’ve developed a lot, not only in terms of technical and academic skills but also on a personal level - learning how to navigate complex problems, collaborate with others, and persist when things get tough."
About Andreas's research
Andreas Alhede's research has focused on steel corrosion in reinforced concrete, which is one of the most critical durability problems in concrete infrastructure. To investigate this, Andreas used advanced imaging techniques, X-ray and neutron computed tomography, to study internal processes at the material scale without destroying the specimens. By combining these two techniques, Andreas managed to obtain high-resolution data of both corrosion characteristics and the resulting concrete damage.
Among the most interesting findings, Andreas rate the ways he have integrated image-based data into advanced finite element analyses. This allowed him to bridge experimental kinematics with numerical mechanics, and in doing so, he could study the mechanical response of the corrosion layer. One key outcome was identifying a non-linear stress and strain response in this layer, which helps explain the pressure build-up at the interface. Another important result was the identification of interfacial voids as critical hot-spots for localised corrosion, with the likelihood of corrosion initiation increasing with the size of these voids.
Sofie Hagejärd, Architectural Theory and Methods
Doctoral Degree in spring 2025
"During my time as a PhD student, I have had the privilege of being part of several exciting research projects that have created an inspiring environment with collaborations both within and outside academia. I have been able to develop in many different ways that I will benefit from in the future. Being surrounded by so many dedicated and friendly colleagues has really made this time a positive and memorable experience."
About Sofie's research
Sofie´s research has focused on the household perspective in relation to products and services that aim to reduce the environmental impact of consumption in and for the home. This has been explored in two focus areas. The first aims to explore opportunities for more sustainable kitchens based on circular economy principles. The second aims to understand the potential for households to become more flexible in their energy use to support a more sustainable energy system.
One of Sofie's conclusions from her research is that people have different capacities to change everyday practices, influence their living environment and invest in solutions to reduce environmental impact. Therefore, there is a need for different solutions to achieve a broad transition towards more sustainable consumption practices. Regarding the transition towards more “circular” kitchens, design strategies that implement different levels of flexibility and sustainability need to be combined with different circular business models, targeting different types of households. Regarding the transition towards more sustainable energy use, different levels of knowledge and preferences regarding manual control and automation need to be taken into account.
