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Board of Directors
Jonathan D. Bray - Director
Biography
Jonathan D. Bray, Ph.D., P.E. is a professor of geotechnical engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has been on the faculty since 1993. Previously, he was an assistant professor at Purdue University and worked as a geotechnical engineering consultant and a Corps of Engineers officer. Bray earned engineering degrees from West Point (B.S.), Stanford University (M.S. in structural engineering), and the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering).
Bray has been a member of EERI since 1990, and has worked actively on earthquake engineering activities within and outside of EERI. He is a leader in earthquake reconnaissance and serves as chair of the Geotechnical Engineering Earthquake Reconnaissance (GEER) activity (http://gees.usc.edu/GEER/). His earthquake investigations include the 1989 Loma Prieta, 1992 Landers, 1994 Northridge, 1995 Kobe, 1999 Kocaeli, 1999 Chi-Chi, 1999 Duzce, and 2001 Nisqually earthquakes. He serves on the National Steering Committee of the Advanced National Seismic System, as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of GeoEngineering Case Histories, and on the editorial board of several prominent journals.
As a registered professional civil engineer since 1985, Bray has served as a consultant on several engineering projects and has served as an expert geotechnical engineer in legal cases. He has authored more than 150 research publications. His expertise includes surface fault rupture, ground motion characterization, seismic site response, liquefaction and ground failure and its effects on structures, the seismic performance of earth and waste fills, and post-earthquake reconnaissance.
Bray's awards include the Shamsher Prakash International Research Award for geo-earthquake engineering, the ASCE Huber Research Prize, the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, and two North American Geosynthetics Society awards for best papers. He is the only civil engineer to earn a prestigious Packard Foundation Fellowship for Science and Engineering.
Vision
EERI is a truly multidisciplinary organization with the goal of reducing earthquake risk. My vision parallels that of EERI. The most challenging problems in earthquake engineering and science are those that span the many disciplines involved in earthquake risk reduction. From seismology to public policy, professionals from each discipline contribute to advancing society's capability to withstand future earthquake threats. Recent earthquakes worldwide have reminded us of the challenges we face in our chosen professions. Great earthquakes such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake will occur. It is our challenge to prepare society so that these events do not become catastrophic natural disasters.
EERI's stated vision is "a world in which potential earthquake losses are understood and steps have been taken to reduce them to an acceptable level." It is my contention that while there are still many earthquake phenomena that are not well understood, we now have sufficient understanding to recognize the most serious earthquake threats. EERI should emphasize translating knowledge into engineering practice and into public policy. Scientists and engineers need to interact more effectively with government officials and politicians so that positive changes can be implemented. Currently, there is a gap between what we know should be done and what has been done to reduce earthquake risk. It is our challenge to move forward in this area. The unprecedented disaster resulting from Hurricane Katrina serves as a warning that we in the earthquake profession must heed.
EERI members are a talented, diverse, and devoted group of professionals. They continually share their expertise and time to advance our profession and to serve their communities. EERI members have no lack of unselfish devotion to society. EERI should continue to develop opportunities for its dedicated members to make positive changes that reduce earthquake risk. It can do so by strengthening regional EERI chapters, as change starts at the local level. It can improve governmental partnerships, as they can promote societal change. It can more effectively disseminate current knowledge, as the earthquake profession already knows much that can be implemented to save lives and reduce damage from earthquakes. It can expand ties to international partner organizations. It can bring its understanding of how to reduce risk through education, planning, and mitigation to combat threats other than earthquakes. EERI can continue to evolve to reduce earthquake risk and to serve society on related problems.
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Board of Directors