Friedman Family Visiting Program

In 1996 the EERI Endowment Committee now known as the Special Projects and Initiatives Committee, first established a Visiting Professional Program. The purpose of this program was to match potential visiting professionals with host institutions, usually universities, for a two to three day workshop of current topics related to earthquake engineering and earthquake risk reduction. This exchange is meant to be part lecture and part informal discussion with faculty and students. The visiting professionals come from a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, earth science, seismology, architecture, planning, public policy and the social sciences.

The objectives of this program are designed to:

Improve the understanding of students and faculty of the active professional earthquake engineering and risk reduction community
Enhance the understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of earthquake engineering
Increase the professional's understanding of the educational process
Utilize the unique intellectual resources of EERI to broker useful relationships
Use the resources of EERI to help students understand and consider professional careers associated with earthquake engineering and earthquake risk reduction

In 1998, upon the death of Nicholas (Nick) Forell, his family asked that donations be made in his memory to sponsor the Visiting Professional program. Nick had been instrumental in creating this program. Nick's passion and desire for knowledge created an atmosphere in which he challenged himself and others to continually learn and grow and it is in this spirit that his family felt these donations would carry on Nick's wishes. EERI received over $10,000 in donations and was able to send 10 professionals to speak at universities throughout the country.

In 2001, David A. Friedman, of Forell/Elsesser Engineers, and his family endowed the program with $250,000. This generous gift was made with the intention that sufficient interest would be generated to keep the program running in perpetuity. At the time the gift was made, the name of the program was formally changed to the Friedman Family Visiting Professional Program. David's participation as a visiting professional prompted him to endow this program, to ensure that it benefit students and professionals in the future, as he found the experience mutually rewarding.

The Friedman family has a history of social activism and philanthropic support of nonprofit organizations in the areas of economic development, homelessness, and housing. The Family has also endowed the Howard A. Friedman Visiting Professional program in the Department of Architecture, College of Environmental Design, at the University of California, Berkeley.

Since 1997, 15 universities have participated in the program; 29 professionals have made over 43 visits.

For further information contact

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
499 14th St., Suite 320
Oakland, CA 94612-1934
(510) 451-0905
FAX (510) 451-5411
e-mail: sonya@eeri.org