Matthew Francis

Matthew Francis, a senior geotechnical engineer at URS Corporation in Salt Lake City, has been selected as the 2006 NEHRP Professional Fellow in Earthquake Hazard Reduction, awarded by EERI under a co-operative program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This activity is undertaken by FEMA as part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. The fellowship is designed to provide an opportunity for a practicing professional to gain greater skills and broader expertise in earthquake risk reduction. The Institute extends thanks to reviewers Daniel Alesch, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, and Bruce Kutter, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis.

Francis investigating inundation during the EERI-sponsored tsunami survey in India.

Francis participated in the EERI-sponsored field investigation of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. He has had experience in evaluating tsunami-resistant design in Hawaii and has overseen seismicity studies and strong motion studies in the United States, the South Pacific, Central America, and Asia. Francis received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

The Professional Fellowship is awarded annually and provides a stipend of $30,000, commencing in January 2006, for tuition, fees, and living expenses for a 12-month period.

The objective of EERI is to reduce earthquake risk by advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering, by improving understanding of the impact of earthquakes on the physical, social, economic, political and cultural environment, and by advocating comprehensive and realistic measures for reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes.

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
499 14th Street, Suite 320
Oakland, California 94612-1934
tel: (510) 451-0905 • fax: (510) 451-5411