D. Jean Hutchinson is a Canadian geological engineer whose research has focused on the use of lidar to characterize the structure and stability of rock masses in mines, [1] and the risk of landslides for open pit mines, reservoirs, railways, and other infrastructure. [2] She is a professor emerita in the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering at Queen's University at Kingston, [3] [2] and president of Innovative Geomechanics Inc. [2]
Hutchinson grew up traveling the world with her father, a public transportation consultant. [4] She has a 1984 bachelor's degree in geoengineering from the University of Toronto, a 1988 master's degree in geotechnical engineering from the University of Alberta, and a 1992 Ph.D. in rock engineering from the University of Toronto, [1] supervised by Evert Hoek. [4]
She worked as a professional engineer for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and as a consultant, before returning to academia as a faculty member at the University of Waterloo, and then at Queen's University. As a professor at Queen's University, she headed the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering from 2009 to 2017. [1]
Hutchinson was named a 2011 fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and Canadian Geotechnical Society. [5] The Canadian Geotechnical Society gave her their 2001 A. G. Stermac Award, their 2003 John A. Franklin Award, their 2011 R. M. Quigley Award, their 2013 Thomas Roy Award, [1] and their 2016 Robert Schuster Medal, "for her significant contribution to geohazards research, development and awareness in North America". [6] The Engineering Institute of Canada gave her their 2017 Canadian Pacific Railway Medal, [1] and their 2024 John B. Stirling Medal for leadership and distinguished service at the national level. [7]
She was the 2019 Glossop Medal Lecturer of the Geological Society of London, the second Canadian to be awarded this medal. [4] She was the 2024 recipient of the Trailblazer Award of Women in Mining Canada. [8] [9]
She was elected to the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2020. [1]