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Professor Leena Korkiala-Tanttu awarded the Pikku-Tömppä

A versatile background, good knowledge of design and construction processes, and the ability to combine high-level scientific expertise with practical engineering expertise were the reasons behind the award.
Leena Korkiala-Tanttu palkittiin Tölpällä
The chairman of the board, Magnus Nygård, handed the award to Professor Leena Korkiala-Tantu. Photo: Ville Järvinen/Koneyrittäjät

The earth construction institute Maarakennusalan neuvottelukunta MANK awarded professor Leena Korkiala-Tanttu with the Pikku-Tömppä at the autumn  Earth Construction Day on September 29. The Pikku-Tömppä is one of the most prestigious awards in the field and is awarded for personal merits and achievements for the benefit of the infrastructure sector. Only a few awards are given each year.

Korkiala-Tanttu is professor of geotechnical engineering at Aalto University and head of the Department of civil engineering. She started at Aalto as a professor in 2010. Before that, she created a long and versatile career in engineering offices as a geotechnical designer and researcher at VTT. The research topics included, among other things, the final disposal of nuclear waste,  analysis of pavement structures and the inclusion of life cycle reviews in the procurement of infrastructure.

Korkiala-Tanttu is an active actor and a positive and energetic role model who has encouraged students to work in infrastructure construction and acted as an example especially for women studying the field. She has determinedly built cooperation between academia and the business world. Thanks to her versatile background, she knows planning and construction processes well and has an excellent ability to combine high-level scientific knowledge with practical engineering expertise, the award justification says. Korkiala-Tanttu has also brought up the low number of PhDs in the field.

Leena Korkiala-Tanttu has been actively involved in MANK's operations for a long time. Through her activities, she has built a close and functional cooperation bond between Aalto University and the Maarakennusalan neuvottelukunta MANK.

Tömppä is a hand-operated soil compactor that is no longer used.

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