Robert Reitherman

Robert Reitherman, executive director of the Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE) in Richmond, California, has been selected as the 2005 NEHRP Professional Fellow in Earthquake Hazard Reduction, awarded by EERI under a cooperative 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 the review committee, consisting of Thomas O’Rourke, professor of engineering at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York; Craig Comartin of C. D. Comartin, Inc., Stockton, California; Mary Comerio, professor of architecture, University of California (UC) at Berkeley; and Ronald Mayes, structural engineer at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, San Francisco, California.

Reitherman will conduct research and author a report on the “History of Earthquake Engineering from an International Perspective.” He brings knowledge and perspective to this endeavor from his active involvement in producing the EERI Oral History series. The report will point out historical events, patterns, and accomplishments in earthquake engineering as they have occurred in other countries, and examine the various origins and pathways that have characterized them.

Reitherman believes that this study will benefit individuals in earthquake-related fields who are seeking to implement earthquake hazard reduction efforts. He will focus on such topics as engineering design and analysis methods, code development strategies, programs to deal retroactively with vulnerabilities in existing buildings, and the manner in which this information is disseminated to the public. This research will be carried out under the direction of Vitelmo Bertero, professor emeritus, UC Berkeley.

Reitherman has served as the executive director of CUREE since 1995. He has worked as an architectural and emergency planning consultant to corporations and governmental entities. He has authored books and articles on earthquake hazard reduction and mitigation measures. Reitherman graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in government and earned a master of architecture degree from UC Berkeley.

The Professional Fellowship is awarded annually and provides a stipend of $30,000, commencing in January 2005, 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
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Oakland, California 94612-1934
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