EUC recently welcomed Dr. Adedibu Sunny Akingboye as a Connected Minds Postdoctoral Fellow, collaborating with Dr. Adeyemi Olusola on interdisciplinary research that integrates geotechnical engineering, artificial intelligence, and environmental systems. His work focuses on understanding how climate-related hazards, particularly flooding, influence both surface and subsurface conditions, shaping infrastructure stability and resilience. EUC Special Projects Assistant, Meetkumar Patel, interviewed him on his plans for engagement and research at the Faculty.

To begin, could you tell us about your research and how it connects with EUC, and what drew you to this position?

My research focuses on how surface and subsurface environmental processes interact to influence infrastructure stability, particularly under climate-driven hazards such as flooding, slope failure, and landslides. I work across geotechnics, geophysics, and environmental systems, integrating geophysical, geotechnical, and geospatial datasets with artificial intelligence to better capture how these processes evolve and interact. This includes studying how soil conditions, groundwater dynamics, and subsurface structures respond to environmental stress, and how those responses affect built systems such as transportation networks, drainage systems, and building foundations.

What makes this work particularly relevant at EUC is its interdisciplinary focus. My research connects physical hazard processes with urban systems and social vulnerability, which aligns closely with the Faculty’s broader goals. EUC provides an environment where technical analysis can be integrated with questions of equity and community impact, allowing research to move beyond prediction toward more meaningful applications in planning and decision-making

Q. As you begin this role, how do you see your collaboration with Dr. Adeyemi Olusola shaping your research direction?

Working with Dr. Adeyemi is helping me expand my research from a primarily technical focus into a more integrated framework that connects environmental hazards with urban systems, policy considerations, and community-level impacts. For example, previous work in Toronto’s Black Creek watershed has highlighted how flooding disproportionately affects certain communities, particularly those that are already vulnerable. Building on this, my research looks at how flood events trigger processes below the surface such as soil saturation, weakening, and instability – which can then lead to infrastructure failure and longer-term impacts.

I am developing an integrated framework that combines environmental data, geotechnical analysis, and social vulnerability indicators to better understand not only where risks occur, but how they evolve over time and who is most affected. This kind of approach supports more comprehensive and equitable strategies for managing environmental risk in rapidly growing urban areas.

Q. Your work spans environmental systems and data-driven analysis. What drew you to this field, and how has your journey evolved?

My journey began with a strong interest in understanding the Earth and the physical processes that shape it, which led me to geophysics. This field provided the foundation for studying subsurface systems that are not directly observable, such as groundwater flow and soil behaviour. Over time, I became more interested in how these processes influence real-world challenges, particularly those related to infrastructure stability, environmental risk, and human systems.

As these challenges became more complex, I began incorporating artificial intelligence into my work to better analyze large and interconnected datasets. This allowed me to capture nonlinear relationships and interactions between environmental and social factors that are difficult to model using traditional methods. This evolution from geophysics to geotechnics to AI-driven approaches has shaped my interdisciplinary research perspective, where the focus is on integrating physical science with advanced analytical tools to address practical environmental challenges.

Q. Can you walk us through one of your current research projects and its real-world significance?

My current research develops an integrated framework for modeling flood-induced geotechnical failures and their impacts on infrastructure and communities in rapidly growing cities. A key limitation in traditional flood studies is that they focus primarily on surface water dynamics, while many of the most critical impacts occur below ground. When soils become saturated, their strength decreases, which can lead to instability in slopes, foundations, and underground systems, creating cascading effects that extend far beyond the initial flood event.

To address this, I propose the BRIDGE framework (Building Resilience through Integrated Data on Geotechnics and Equity) which integrates satellite-derived flood data, geotechnical and geophysical measurements, climate records, and social vulnerability indicators into a unified modeling system. These datasets are analyzed using a combination of machine learning and deep learning techniques to capture spatial and temporal patterns in hazard development. The goal is to better understand how risks evolve, identify the most vulnerable areas, and provide decision-makers with tools to evaluate interventions and design more resilient and equitable systems.

Q. You mentioned a digital twin as part of this work—what does that mean, and how is it useful?

A digital twin is a dynamic virtual representation of a real-world system that integrates multiple types of data into a single interactive platform. In this context, it brings together environmental conditions, subsurface properties, and infrastructure systems to simulate how they interact under different scenarios, such as extreme rainfall, drainage failure, or infrastructure stress.

Unlike traditional models, which are often static and limited in scope, a digital twin can be updated in real time and used to test different “what if” scenarios before they occur. This makes it particularly valuable for decision-makers, as it allows them to anticipate risks, understand potential cascading effects, and evaluate different strategies for improving resilience in complex urban environments.

Q. Looking ahead, how do you see your research contributing to meaningful solutions or advancements in your field?

My research aims to improve how environmental risks are understood and managed, particularly in urban areas where climate impacts are becoming more frequent and complex. A key focus is ensuring that resilience strategies are not only technically effective but also equitable, recognizing that risks are distributed unevenly across communities. By integrating environmental data with social vulnerability indicators, the goal is to support more informed and inclusive decision-making.

Looking ahead, I am also interested in exploring how emerging technologies particularly AI infrastructure such as data centres interact with environmental systems. These systems require significant water and energy resources, which introduces new pressures on already stressed environments. Understanding these interactions will be important for developing more sustainable and balanced approaches to managing both environmental risks and technological growth.

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Dr. Adedibu Sunny Akingboye is a geophysicist and interdisciplinary earth scientist working at the intersection of geotechnics, environmental systems, and artificial intelligence. As a Connected Minds Postdoctoral Fellow at York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, his research focuses on modeling climate-driven hazards, infrastructure resilience, and the integration of social equity into environmental decision-making.