News of the Institute
I. M. Idriss to be Awarded the George W. Housner Medal
Izzat M. “Ed” Idriss (Honorary Member EERI, 1972), professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, will be presented with the George W. Housner Medal in recognition of extraordinary and lasting contributions to public safety through his research, teaching and practice in earthquake geotechnical engineering that led to major advancements in the understanding of site response, liquefaction and seismic performance of embankment dams, and his advising of public policymakers on prudent earthquake safety practices and policies over the course of many decades. The Housner Medal will be presented to Dr. Idriss at the 2018 EERI Annual Meeting, which takes place on June 28, 2018, as part of the 11th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (11NCEE).
Dr. Idriss has had a profound impact not only through his research, teaching and practice in earthquake geotechnical engineering, but also through his engagement in public policy. His technical contributions are well known and have been previously recognized through the Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award (1971), J. James Croes Medal (1972), Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (1975), Normal Medal (1977), H. Bolton Seed Medal (1995), Ishihara Lecture (2007), Ralph B. Peck Award (2010), Carrillo Lecture (2016), and numerous named lectures and other honors. He became a Member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1989 and a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2008.
Dr. Idriss has contributed to public earthquake safety through service on numerous review boards, panels, and committees for a broad range of State, Federal, and private organizations. Together with George W. Housner, he was a member of the Governor's Board of Inquiry to investigate the collapse of the Cypress section of I-880 and the damage to the Bay Bridge during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, and coauthored the Competing Against Time report to Governor Deukmejian in 1990. He served with Housner on the Caltrans Seismic Advisory Board in the 1990s, and coauthored The Continuing Challenge, The Northridge Earthquake of January 17, 1994 report to Caltrans. He participated on peer review panels for the new Bay Bridge and other major toll bridges for Caltrans, and was a member of the Consulting Board for Earthquake Analysis for the Division of Safety of Dams in the 1980s and 1990s, providing guidance to DSOD on seismic dam safety practices and policies. Dr. Idriss’ service on the State of California Board of Mining and Geology in the 1980s and 1990s included terms as Chairman of the Geohazard Committee and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Deterministic/Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Evaluations. As a long-time internal consultant to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, he provides guidance through reviews, technical reports, and short courses on its regulatory program for seismic dam safety. His list of other service roles, whether in professional service or on high profile civil infrastructure projects, is extensive.
Dr. Idriss has also been a long-time supporter of EERI. He has attended and spoken at numerous EERI events over the years, was a coauthor on the 1st and 2nd Monographs regarding liquefaction, has participated in EERI seminar series, has published in Earthquake Spectra (most notably the NGA West and NGA West2 issues), and has been a generous donor. Idriss has been a champion of educating the next generation of geotechnical earthquake engineers with a broader perspective of their discipline, obligations and roles.
11NCEE - Just 2 more weeks for Early Bird Registration!
Don't wait – “early bird” rates end February 28, 2018
The Eleventh U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (11NCEE)
June 25-29, 2018
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites
Los Angeles, California
- The 11NCEE Is a milestone event in earthquake engineering that happens only once every four years
- 1,200+ professionals attending
- 800 technical papers in the proceedings
- 220 posters on display
- 135 technical presentation sessions
- 42 student teams competing in the 2018 Seismic Design Competition
- EERI's 70th Annual Meeting
- Five tours including an all-day tour of the San Andreas Fault, LA Conservancy guided walking tour, LA Department of Water & Power, Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Wilshire Grand Center.
- Five workshops: LFE's Earthquake Reconnaissance Training; New Tools and Guidance for Performance-Based Seismic Design (FEMA P-58 NETAP Training); NHERI Rapid Facility Workshop; Media Interview and Press Conference Techniques and Practice; and Ground Motion Simulations and Engineering Applications.
- Dynamic keynote speakers include Dr. Lucy Jones, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Ashraf Habibullah, Norm Abrahamson, Tom Birkland, Ellen M. Rathje, and many more to be announced.
- A very special reception sponsored by CSI, celebrating the invaluable contributions of Ray Clough and Edward Wilson to the earthquake engineering profession (space is limited)
- The world’s foremost experts in earthquake engineering, geology and seismology presenting and participating on panels.
- A broad range of disciplines represented including architecture, civil and structural engineering, seismology, geology, geophysics, geotechnical engineering, business, public policy, social sciences, regional planning, and emergency response management.
Please Register at www.11ncee.org
For questions about the 11NCEE, including information about government hotel rates, please email 11ncee@eeri.org
Back to top >EERI Member Spotlight
Dr. Terri Norton receives 2018 BEYA Educational Leadership - College-Level Promotion of Education Award
Terri Norton (M.EERI,2004), associate professor of construction engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was chosen to receive the Educational Leadership – College-Level Promotion of Education Award, for demonstrating a strong commitment to preserving superior engineering, scientific and technical education programs. Dr. Norton was presented with the award at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference held Feb. 8-10, 2018, in Washington, DC.
Dr. Norton’s research interests involve evaluating the effects of dynamic loads or hazards on civil structures and sustainable building construction. Dr. Norton has served as the principal investigator (PI) on grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Geological Survey (USGS), Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and Department of Energy (DOE). Her present research is in the area of disaster recovery and reconstruction. She has been an invited lecturer and visiting scholar at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in Italy, the University of Tokyo and Tohoku University International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) in Japan. Moreover, she has been a presenter of structural dynamics and vulnerability in both the national and international arenas. Furthermore, Dr. Norton earned a Fulbright Scholar Award for her research in disaster recovery. She has served as the major advisor for 3 PhD students, 5 MS, 13 Masters of Arch. Engineering and 15 undergraduate research assistants. Dr. Norton currently serves as the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Student Activities Committee chair and the faculty advisor for the UNL collegiate chapters of EERI and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Dr. Norton is helping to develop disaster recovery and hazard mitigation engineers by taking her students on field missions to regions affected by hurricanes and earthquakes.
Back to top >EERI Younger Members News
Now Available on EERI's You Tube Channel: The Inaugural YMC Webinar
On January 24, 2018, the EERI Younger Members Committee (YMC) hosted a webinar by Dr. Sissy Nikolaou (M. EERI, 2004) of WSP USA entitled, “The Big Picture and the Missing Link of Earthquake Resilience.” The presentation focused on the importance of quality of life as an integral component and a “missing link” in engineering resilience goals. Dr. Nikolaou’s presentation motivates younger professionals, researchers and students to recognize new frontiers in addressing seismic hazard, and encourages them to innovate in these emerging areas. A recording of the webinar presentation is now available for viewing on the EERI YouTube channel.
Announcements
NHERI Summer Institute
The second annual NHERI Summer Institute will be held on June 4-6, 2018, at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Downtown Campus. K-12 educators, engineers, and researchers interested in learning more about the Natural Hazards Engineering Research (NHERI) community are invited to apply. Topics of the three-day event include:
- The mission of the NHERI program
- Writing a grant proposal
- NHERI network facility capabilities
- Requesting research resources within the NHERI network
- The NHERI Science Plan
- Hands-on computational research and data management
All interested in participating are welcome to attend. Early career faculty (i.e., non-tenured professors) and early career professionals can apply for travel funding available to the program. Local K-12 educators who are interested can also apply for a stipend to cover participation in the program. More information and application instructions are available on the website.
Back to top >Welcome New Members
Welcome New Members
EERI welcomes new members to the Institute (January 12 - February 13, 2018)
Affiliate
Mario Carrasco, Alba Proyecto Estructural SC, Structural
Piyali Sengupta, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Civil
E-Affiliate
Rabindra Adhikari, Cosmos College of Management and Technology, Structural
Stoyan Andreev, Mott MacDonald Ltd., Structural
Abdullah Dilsiz, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Structural
Yigit Ozcelik, Ozyegin University, Structural
Muhammad Qureshi, University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, Pakistan, Structural
Elias Tavera, ERN, Structural
Regular
Hideki Miyamoto, Miyamoto International, Inc., Structural
Young Professional
Stephanie Borchers, Forell/Elsesser, Structural
Irina Lazar, University of Bristol, Mechanical
Xiao Liang, SUNY Buffalo, Civil
Siyu Liu, Hager-Richter Geoscience, Geophysicist
Maryam Motamed, Geotechnical
Dan Sloat, Degenkolb, Structural
Max Stephens, Structural
Welcome New Student Members
Welcome New EERI Student Members
EERI welcomes new student members to the Institute (January 12 - February 12)
Xavier Roman, University of Puerto Rico, Structural
Hassan Masoomi, Colorado State University, Risk Analysis
Ran Hu, University of California, Irvine, Civil
Moad Isteita University of Colorado Boulder, Structural
Katherine Norris, University of Toronto, Civil
Steve Chai, Unviersity of Toronto, Civil
Safwan Al Subaihawi, Lehigh University, Civil
Alexander Weber-Kamin, University of Kansas, Structural
Julia Dunlop, University of British Columbia, Civil
Brite Wang, University of California, Irvine, Mechanical
Christian Flores Carreras, University of Michigan, Civil
Mariyam Amir, Pennsylvania State University, Structural
Mishael Nuh, University of Toronto, Civil
Rahemeen Ahmed, University of Toronto, Civil
Ana Sarkis Fernandez, University of Canterbury, Civil
Hamed Hasani, University of Nevada, Reno, Structural
Leena Tahir, Imperial College London, Structural
Qingkai Kong, University of California, Berkeley, Geophysicist
Raymond Ng, University of Oklahoma, Geophysicist
Amin Jabini, Sharif University of Technology, Structural
Aamna Arshad, Structural
Walaa Eltahawy, University of Nevada, Reno, Civil
Astrid Winther Fischer, Johns Hopkins, Civil
Irma Nazario Rivera, University of California, Irvine, Civil
Michael Cataluna, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Civil
Richard Branton, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Structural
Mohammed Masmoum, King Abdulaziz University, Structural
Bishal Khadka, Virginia Tech, Structural
Makenna Widholm, University of Nebraska
Renew your EERI Membership for 2018
Don't Forget to Renew Your EERI Membership for 2018!
EERI thrives on the the dedication and involvement of our members, and we appreciate your support. If you have not already renewed your membership for 2018, please do so now. 2018 will be a milestone year for the Institute, one you do not want to miss.
To renew your EERI membership, find the email we sent on January 5, 2018, which provided a link to your personal renewal page showing contact information with options for selecting chapter membership and making a voluntary contribution to the EERI Endowment Fund. Or, simply login and renew online. To login, use your email address as your username, and your EERI ID number as your password. If you need assistance, please email eeri@eeri.org. If you have already renewed for 2018, we thank you.
We hope you will continue to support EERI and renew your membership for 2018.
News of the Profession
Links to Recent News & Views
Eight (8) recent articles, stories, opinions, or reports from around the web
Dr. Terri Norton Keeps it Real (US Black Engineer) Terri Norton's (M.EERI,2004) passion for mentoring students as well as younger faculty members have earned her the 2018 Black Engineer of the Year College-Level Promotion of Education Award. Read more
Survey Finds only 11.3% of Washington Homes Have Earthquake Insurance (The Seattle Times) The survey by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is the first attempt to quantify quake coverage in the state. Read more
Netherlands Gas Fields Begin Closing in Earthquake Aftermath (NL Times) Dutch petroleum company NAM announced on February 2, 2018, that closing the Loppersum gas fields immediately was one of the measures the state supervisor on mines SoDM advised following an earthquake in the region last month. Read more
Taiwan Earthquake Toll Rises, With Many Missing (New York Times) A magnitude-6.4 quake struck at 11:50 p.m. on February 7 and was centered 14 miles northeast of the coastal city of Hualien. The shaking was felt across Taiwan. Read more
Taiwan Earthquake: Rescue Efforts Temporarily Suspended After Building Tilting at 45-Degree Angle Begins to Slide (National Post) The Yunmen Tsuiti residential building is one of at least four buildings that caved in and shifted on their foundations. Read more
Damage Assessment by Laser Could Focus Postearthquake Response (Earth & Space Science News) Airborne lidar surveys taken before and after a powerful 2016 earthquake in Japan revealed the potential for such surveys to identify hard-hit buildings quickly. Read more
Building Back Better Restores Hope (UNISDR) The World Urban Forum Special Session on Restoring Hope addresses community engagement in recovery from the earthquakes in Mexico, Iran, Nepal, Haiti, and other recent events. Read more
Seismic Stress Map Developed by Stanford Researchers Profiles Induced Earthquake Risk for West Texas, New Mexico (Stanford News) A map created by Stanford geophysicists can help predict which parts of West Texas and New Mexico may be at risk of fracking-induced earthquakes. Read more
In Memoriam - Stephen A. Mahin
Stephen A. Mahin (1946 - 2018)
Stephen A. MahinEERI is saddened by the news that longtime member and friend, Stephen A. Mahin (M.EERI,1975), has passed away.
Stephen A. Mahin, the Byron L. and Elvira E. Nishkian Professor Emeritus of Structural Engineering in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, passed away on February 10, 2018.
Dr. Mahin was a world-renowned expert in earthquake engineering with wide-ranging teaching, research, and professional practice contributions in the characterization of earthquake strong ground motion, numerical modeling, computer simulation, and innovative structural testing methods for severe loading environments.
During his nearly 50-year career at Berkeley and with international activities, Professor Mahin taught, advised, and mentored generations of students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates and colleagues, and practicing engineers. His broad range of interests also engaged social scientists and stakeholders. His creative approach, collaborative spirit, and enthusiastic generosity in sharing his prolific ideas have inspired everyone who has spent time with him, and he will leave his mark on the profession for years to come.
A special session at the 11th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (11NCEE) to honor and remember Dr. Mahin is being organized. Condolences to Stephen Mahin’s family may be posted on Stephen A. Mahin - A Full Life.
Read more about Stephen Mahin's life and professional accomplishments on the PEER website.
Back to top >Regional Chapter Spotlight
EERI British Columbia Regional Chapter Event: EERI Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Lucy Jones
The EERI British Columbia Regional Chapter presents
Dr. Lucy Jones (M.EERI,2001)
Life Safety in the City: There is More to Life Than not Being Crushed
Friday, March 16, 2018
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
St. Ann's Academy
835 Humboldt Street
Victoria, B.C. Canada
Please click here for more information and to register for the event.
Back to top >