Professor Sheahan’s research experience is primarily in the area of experimental soil mechanics with an emphasis on rate effects and other behavior aspects of clay soils and laboratory equipment automation. He has performed laboratory and field work involving excavation support systems and geoenvironmental applications in soft sediments. His education research and scholarship has utilized advanced methods for learning assessment in engineering education. He has received research funding from the National Science Foundation, Federal Highway Administration, the Navy Research Laboratory, and the GE Foundation. He is the co-editor of the ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, and is active in both ASCE and Transportation Research Board committees.