New Appointments at ENAC
© 2026 EPFL
The Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology has announced the promotions and appointments of several professors, including two from the ENAC School: Lyesse Laloui and Urs Germann. We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to them both. Brief overview of their respective careers.
Lyesse Laloui has been a professor at EPFL since 2006 and is currently director of the Soil Mechanics Laboratory within ENAC. As he will reach retirement age in 2028, the ETH Board has decided to extend his contract beyond that date for a period of five years.
Professor Laloui joined EPFL in 1994 as a research associate at the Soil Mechanics Laboratory (LMS). A lecturer since 1996, he has led the “Environmental Geomechanics” group since 2001. In 2006, he was promoted to full professor, before taking over as director of the Soil Mechanics Laboratory in 2008.
Lyesse Laloui is a world-renowned expert in geomechanics, sustainability, and geo-energy. His distinguished career encompasses leading academic positions, groundbreaking research contributions, and influential leadership roles within the geotechnical engineering and environmental fields. Professor Laloui’s extensive experience, qualifications, and achievements have advanced the frontiers of knowledge and developed innovative solutions for a sustainable future. This recognition is further underscored by two honorary doctorates (Heriot-Watt University, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca), which honor his leadership in the field of sustainability.
In addition to his research activities, he holds influential positions within the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences, the Academia Europaea, and the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects. He is also the European Vice President of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. As the European Director of the International Associated Research Centers for Urban Underground Space, he makes a decisive contribution to global efforts toward sustainable urban development.
Professor Laloui’s commitment to innovation extends beyond the academic sphere: he holds several patents and has founded five EPFL-spinoff startups, including Enerdrape, ranked in the Swiss Top 100 (2023, 2024).
Urs Germann, currently a division head at the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss), has been appointed Professor of Practice at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) at EPFL.
He is a recognised expert thanks to his significant contributions to operational radar meteorology in complex terrain, specialising in quantitative precipitation estimation, short-range forecasting and their hydrological applications.
He conducts research at the intersection of science and society and has several years of teaching experience at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, where he regularly serves as a guest lecturer.
At EPFL, he will teach a master's programme that links research and technology to societal value in climate and environmental remote sensing. This will fill a gap in the educational offerings of the Section of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (SSIE) while strengthening cooperation with MeteoSwiss.