Athula Kulathilaka graduated with first class honours in Civil Engineering from University of Moratuwa in 1981 and obtained a PhD from Monash University, Australia in 1990. From 1991 to 2005 he was serving the University of Moratuwa as a Senior Lecturer and was promoted to a post of Professor of Civil Engineering in 2005. His field of specialization is Geotechnical Engineering. He is the current president of the Sri Lankan Geotechnical Society. His main research areas are: Earth Retaining Structures, Stabilization of Slopes and Ground Improvement Techniques. He has conducted number of research projects; to develop innovative earth retaining systems with local materials, rain induced slope failures and methods of rectification, improvement of soft peaty clays of Sri Lanka with different techniques such as; preloading, deep mixing and electro osmosis. He has published more than 75 papers in referred journals and conferences. He has worked as a consultant to the Road Development Authority of Sri Lanka on; Design of Cut Slopes in Southern Expressway from Kottawa to Galle and Galle to Matara, Design of Ground Improvement Techniques in Colombo – Katunayaka Expressway. At present he works as a consultant to NBRO on World Bank funded projects on Rectification of slopes at 18 schools in Kandy district and Rectification of landslides in the Kandy – Mahiyangana road.