The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has one or two internship positions available for recent college graduates who are interested in gaining valuable professional experience while supporting the Institute’s mission to reduce earthquake risk. These positions can begin as early as November 2016. Applications should be submitted by October 19, 2016.

The approximately six-month internships offer engagement in a number of interesting EERI projects and Institute activities, including Learning from Earthquakes, the School Earthquake Safety Initiative, the EERI Annual Meeting, and technical seminars and webinars.

Tasks are varied, although day-to-day work focuses on supporting EERI projects and staff through research, project and event coordination, and website development and maintenance.

Internship candidates should have:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, science, architecture, or public policy.
• Familiarity and interest with issues in earthquake risk reduction
• Proficiency in Excel and Word
• Basic HTML skills and some knowledge of website development and maintenance (WordPress and Joomla), or willingness to learn
• Skills with graphic design programs such as Adobe InDesign or Illustrator
• Ability to take initiative and independently solve problems
• Curiosity, strong interpersonal skills, and a flexible attitude towards work
• Basic GIS skills and knowledge of GIS software (ArcMap, ArcGIS Online) or a willingness to learn

The interns will need to work in the EERI office, which means living in the San Francisco Bay Area. (No moving or housing support provided). EERI interns are provided a monthly stipend of $2,200.

EERI Post-Graduation internships are a great way to gain valuable professional experience, to be involved in meaningful projects related to seismic safety and risk reduction, and to make connections with EERI’s multi-disciplinary professional community. The EERI office is conveniently located in downtown Oakland, close to BART and the freeway.

You can learn more about the EERI Internship program at https://www.eeri.org/about-eeri/post-graduate-internship-program/

Interested applicants should upload a resume, a one-page cover letter highlighting their qualifications and interest in the EERI internship program, and the names of two references to the secure website here: https://www.eeri.org/cohost/registration/internship-application. Preference is given to EERI members. Applications should be submitted by October 19, 2016. New internship positions become available every four to six months.

 

Christine Z. Beyzaei (M. EERI, 2014), a Ph.D. student in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and Nasser Marafi (M. EERI, 2014), a Ph.D. student in Structural Engineering from the University of Washington, have been selected as the 2016-2017 EERI/FEMA NEHRP Graduate Fellows in Earthquake Hazard Reduction.

EERI awards graduate fellowships each year with support from FEMA and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. The award is given to foster the participation of capable individuals in furthering the goals and practice of earthquake hazard mitigation. The fellowships provide a stipend of $12,000 that can be used for tuition, fees, research expenses, and attendance at the 2017 EERI Annual Meeting, March 7-10, 2017, in Portland, Oregon.

Beyzaei and Marafi were selected from a group of highly qualified applicants studying civil, environmental, mechanical, structural, and geotechnical engineering, geomechanics, public policy, and sustainable design and construction at universities across the nation. A subcommittee of EERI’s Student Activities Committee, led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Associate Professor Terri R. Norton (M. EERI, 2004), reviewed the application packages and made the final selections. The committee awarded honorable mention to candidates Megan Boston (M. EERI, 2012, John Hopkins University), Trevor Carey (M. EERI, 2013, University of California, Davis) and Andrew Sen (M. EERI, 2016, University of Washington).

Christine Z. Beyzaei’s doctoral research focuses on fine-grained soil liquefaction effects, investigating observations from the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence through advanced laboratory testing and evaluation of depositional environment effects on liquefaction performance. The fellowship review committee noted her work showed great promise for improving engineering practice. Beyzaei graduated from the George Washington University in 2009 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and from University of California, Berkeley in 2010 with an M.S. in Civil Engineering. From 2010-2013 she worked as a geotechnical engineer at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers in New York City on both U.S. and international consulting projects. In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, Ms. Beyzaei was actively involved in the founding of the EERI-NYNE Regional Chapter, served as GEER Recorder from 2013-2015, and volunteered her time mentoring high school students with the ACE Mentor Program of America from 2011-2013. She is a registered civil engineer in the state of California.

Nasser Marafi is part of an interdisciplinary team at the University of Washington (the M9 Project – https://hazards.uw.edu/geology/m9/), and is currently studying the effects of large-magnitude subduction earthquakes on structures located in deep sedimentary basins. Within the M9 Project, a suite of physics-based simulations is being developed for a wide range of possible earthquake rupture scenarios. Marafi is comparing these generated ground motions with those recorded during subduction earthquakes inside and near basins in Japan, and is evaluating the intensity of these motions in terms of spectral acceleration, ground-motion duration, spectral shape, and structural collapse risk. Working with practitioners from the Structural Engineering Association of Washington, Nasser is currently developing a framework to incorporate basin effects into the seismic design of structures. The fellowship review committee expressed interest not only in Marafi’s research topic, but also on its influence to expand research in this area.

Prior to joining the Ph.D. program, Nasser practiced structural engineering for five years and is a registered Professional Engineer in California. He is advised by professors Jeffrey Berman (M. EERI, 2000) and Marc Eberhard (M. EERI, 1990).

The Institute looks forward to highlighting Beyzaei and Marafi’s research at the EERI 2017 Annual Meeting.

To learn more about the EERI/FEMA NEHRP Graduate Fellowship, visit the EERI website at https://www.eeri.org/about-eeri/honors-awards/graduate-fellowship/

As part of the Learning from Earthquakes program, EERI is joining with the European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering (Eucentre) and Rete dei Laboratori Universitari di Ingegneria Sismica (ReLUIS) to conduct a reconnaissance trip in Italy from September 12-16, 2016. The team will study the impacts of the August 24, 2016 Amatrice earthquake.

We thank EERI members for the many responses to assist and support our mission to the region. In the tradition of EERI reconnaissance efforts, the team assembled for the Amatrice reconnaissance trip is represented by earthquake engineers from both academia and practice. This team was also designed by the LFE Executive Committee to provide opportunities for younger members participate in reconnaissance activities.

Guido Magenes, Associate Professor and Head of Masonry Structures Area, Eucentre, University of Pavia, will act as team leader of the mission. EERI delegation members are:

• Silvia Mazzoni (M. EERI, 2010, and EERI Delegation leader), Consultant and Research Engineer at UC Berkeley
• Erica Fischer (M. EERI, 2010), Design Engineer, Degenkolb Engineers, Seattle
• Paolo Calvi (M. EERI, 2016), Assistant Professor, University of Washington
• Dick Dreyer (M. EERI, 1995), Principal, Holmes Culley, San Francisco

Additional members of the team from Eucentre are Barbara Borzi, Roberto Nascimbene, Andrea Penna, and Massimiliano Stucchi, while ReLUIS representatives are Angelo Masi, Enrico Spacone, Antonio Santo, Maria Polese, Marco Di Ludovico, Luigi DiSarno, Luigi Sorrentino and George Balzopoulos.

The reconnaissance mission will be focused on four main themes:

1. Performance of new or retrofitted structures.

2. How lessons from the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake are informing emergency response and rebuilding efforts.

3. Observation of Italian approaches for detailed and systematic data collection techniques to inform (1) EERI’s data collection approaches, (2) fragility development for the building typologies damaged by the earthquake, and (3) verification of virtual damage and loss maps from remote sensing data sources.

4. Performance of schools and their impacts on community resilience.

After its return from the field, the team will disseminate findings by producing a web-broadcasted reconnaissance briefing for the membership. More information on the Amatrice earthquake, including data and photos from the reconnaissance team as they are gathered, can be found on the LFE Amatrice Virtual Clearinghouse: http://www.eqclearinghouse.org/2016-08-24-italy/

Do you know a young academic or professional making a difference in reducing global earthquake risk? EERI members are encouraged to nominate candidates from government, private firms, academia, and the international community for the 2016 Shah Family Innovation Prize.

The Shah Family Innovation Prize was created with a substantial gift to the EERI Endowment Fund by the Haresh C. Shah family of Stanford, California. The intent of the prize is to stimulate further creativity and leadership in the earthquake risk mitigation community and EERI.

The selection process recognizes a combination of past accomplishments and future potential, emphasizing creative and innovative thinkers who have demonstrated at early stages in their careers the potential to make major contributions. EERI membership is not required for either the nominator or candidate, although it is strongly encouraged. Candidates must be less than 35 years of age on January 1, 2017.

Submit your nominations for the Shah Family Innovation Prize online by November 15, 2016 at https://www.eeri.org/cohost/registration/2016-shah-prize-nominations

For more information about the required nomination package, selection criteria, and past winners, visit https://www.eeri.org/about-eeri/honors-awards/shah-family-innovation-prize/

The 2016 Shah Family Innovation Prize Selection Committee: Patricia Grossi, Independent Consultant (Chair); Jack Baker, Stanford University; Stacy Bartoletti, Degenkolb Engineers; Glenn Rix, Geosyntec Consultants; and Emily So, University of Cambridge.

The following candidates were nominated for the 2017 EERI Board of Directors. EERI members vote for their candidates from October 1, 2016 to November 1, 2016. EERI members are notified via email, with voting instructions, including a unique link to an online ballot.

Director A:
Brent A. Maxfield, Structural Engineer, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT (M. EERI, 2005)
Barry H. Welliver, Structural Engineer, BHW Engineers, Draper, UT (M. EERI, 2002)

Director B:
John G. Anderson, Professor, Seismological Lab, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV (M. EERI, 1980)
William U. “Woody” Savage, Geophysicist/Professor, USGS/ University of Nevada-Las Vegas, NV (M. EERI, 1975)

Below is a full list of the candidates’ biographies and vision statements

DIRECTOR A

Brent A. Maxfield: Biography

Brent Maxfield is a structural engineer with the Special Projects Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with more than 30 years of experience in the field of structural and earthquake engineering. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Civil Engineering degree from Brigham Young University (BYU) and then earned a Master of Engineering Management degree from BYU.

During his 24 years of work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brent has designed and reviewed the structural design of scores of church projects throughout the United States and the world. These projects ranged from straightforward new construction to very complex evaluation and retrofit of existing historic facilities. The projects varied from religious worship structures and temples to assembly buildings, manufacturing facilities, warehouse facilities, and office buildings. Brent has studied the structural and seismic codes of many countries and worked with engineers in many parts of the world.

In his role as an owner’s design representative, Brent has stayed abreast of current codes and also current research that will be affecting the codes in future code cycles. He has an active interest is seismic topics. During the past several years, Brent has made a consistent effort to bridge the information gap between structural engineers and earthquake ground motion experts. The March 2016 issue of Structure Magazine published his article, Are You Communicating Seismic Concepts Correctly? http://www.structuremag.org/?p=9657

Brent is finishing a three-year term in the EERI Utah Chapter, currently serving as Past President. During his term as president, the Utah Chapter published the report, Scenario for a Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake on the Wasatch Fault – Salt Lake City Segment: Hazards and Loss Estimates. This was a collaborative effort of many members of the Utah Chapter. The chapter also hosted lectures with David Wald, David Boore, Ivan Wong, and Robert Olshansky. Brent was the organizing chair for two EERI day-long events: 2015 Short Course on Seismic Ground Motions and 2016 Utah Earthquake Resiliency Workshop.

Brent has been an active member of the Structural Engineers Association of Utah (SEAU) for more than 25 years. He has twice served on the Board of Directors and has been active on multiple committees. In his position on the Structural Engineers Emergency Response (SEER) Committee, he was instrumental in the adoption of the Building Occupancy Resumption Program (BORP) in Salt Lake City and other cities along the Wasatch Front. This program allows for the preauthorization of post-earthquake building inspection, allowing businesses to get back into operation significantly faster following an earthquake event. Brent has served on the Utah Structural Advisory Committee to the Utah Uniform Codes Commission and served as chair of the committee.

In 2012, Brent was awarded the Utah Engineers Council’s Utah Engineer of the Year award. He was nominated by SEAU. He is the author of three books on the use and application of Mathcad as an engineering tool. Brent has mentored many students from BYU and has sponsored several Capstone projects.

Brent A. Maxfield: Vision Statement

In my 30+ years as a structural engineer, I have seen a great evolution in the structural and seismic design codes. It has been an interesting journey seeing the progression of the structural engineering community. On this journey, I have loved my involvement with the structural engineers in the Structural Engineers Association of Utah (SEAU) and the other national organizations to which I belong. Much my efforts over the past 30 years has been geared towards making buildings better able to safely resist earthquake ground motions.

EERI allows me to get out of my structural engineering world and view earthquakes and their effects from the perspective of many other talented and respected professionals who are not structural engineers. It provides me the opportunity to expand my vision and to see things differently, so that when I go back into my structural engineering world, I am better able to take a more holistic approach to seismic engineering.

My service on the EERI Utah Chapter Board has also expanded my view. On the Board, I have had the opportunity of working with structural engineers, seismologists, geotechnical engineers, geologists, and emergency managers. I have interacted with planners, architects, scientists, building owners, civil engineers, emergency responders, and building officials. All of these individuals were dedicated to reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes in Utah.

My vision for EERI is to reach out to the thousands of professionals and other individuals who are working hard on earthquake issues in their areas of expertise and help them see the benefit of membership in a multi-discipline organization where their expertise is needed, and where they can benefit by learning from those in other disciplines. Together we can be greater than the sum of the parts.

Resiliency is a big buzzword nowadays. However you define it, EERI will play an important role in helping to promulgate the efforts to reduce the impact of and speed-up the recovery from significant seismic events. EERI will become a leader and facilitator in this arena.

I am honored to be nominated as a candidate for the EERI Board of Directors and pledge my efforts to achieve the mission of EERI.

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DIRECTOR A

Barry H. Welliver: Biography

Barry H. Welliver is Owner and Principal Engineer of BHW Engineers, L.L.C. with offices in Larkspur, California and Draper, Utah.

Barry graduated from the University of Connecticut and moved to Northern California in the early 1970’s to study earthquakes and become involved with the newly emerging earthquake engineering community. There he worked for several prominent structural engineering firms before establishing his own private practice in 1979. After twenty-two years of residency, he moved with his family to Utah where he continues his practice while maintaining his Northern California office.

He has been actively involved in the Structural Engineers Associations of Utah and Northern California serving on and chairing several committees. His interests in earthquakes lead to his involvement with the Utah Seismic Safety Commission (USSC) beginning in 1996 as an observer, then delegate for the Structural Engineers Association of Utah and finally as Chair of the commission from 2002-2006. He has also served as president of the Structural Engineers Association of Utah and the Utah Regional Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

Barry has been involved in a number of seismic renovations of existing buildings in both Utah and California, both as structural engineer of record and advocate for seismic safety. As chairman of the USSC he was instrumental in endorsing the need for the seismic retrofit of the University of Utah Marriott Library helping to capture Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supplemental funds for the project. He has a long history of interest and advocacy for school earthquake safety. In Utah, he helped successfully lobby the state legislature for funding to complete a Rapid Visual Screening inventory of all public school buildings.

He is chair of EERI’s School Earthquake Safety Initiative (SESI). He was invited last year as the representative of EERI’s SESI to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Second Safe Schools Leaders meeting in Tehran, I.R Iran where he reported on SESI’s activities and learned about the international efforts for school hazard safety. He presently serves as Project Director for the Applied Technology Council’s ATC 122-1 project Guide to Improving School Natural Hazard Safety FEMA P-1000, to be published later this year.

Barry has also helped author FEMA P-420 Engineering Guidelines for Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation, and FEMA P-154 Rapid Visual Screening for Potential Seismic Hazards: A Handbook Third Edition. In Utah he was a member of the teams producing the first Putting Down Roots In Earthquake Country and Scenario for a Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake on the Wasatch Fault – Salt Lake City Segment publications.

Barry H. Welliver: Vision Statement

My interest in engineering started in high school, when a teacher asked if I’d like to help him build his house over summer vacation. I was hooked. I followed this passion into engineering school, became a licensed structural engineer and was on my way to helping clients build their own dreams and projects. This satisfying career lead me to understand the importance of serving not only my clients, but also a public needing to understand the risks from natural hazards. EERI was there to catch my interest and help me become the advocate I am today.

So, this is an honor for me to be selected as a candidate for director in this organization.

First, I believe that EERI’s mission to advance, improve, and advocate for earthquake engineering has been the hallmark of the organization both here in the U.S. and throughout the world. Through the efforts of dedicated members and staff, this been earned many times over and will need to be continually cultured as we map out the future and engage new generations.

Learning From Earthquakes (LFE), the World Housing Encyclopedia (WHO) and the School Earthquake Safety Initiative (SESI) are just a few of the many projects that have and are making meaningful impacts. These efforts define the good work we are doing and deserve the dedicated support of our organization was well as the attention to how they can complement one other.

I am continually impressed by the numbers of students and young professionals I see at EERI annual meetings and chapter events. Our ability to help mentor and let them help shape our future path will define who we become. Our regional chapters are the local “faces” of EERI and need to be supported and encouraged to build their programs around the needs of local communities and states. They represent our eyes and ears on the ground and can also play a role in shaping the direction of EERI.

Our multi-disciplined membership offers us one of the most distinct advantages in the field of earthquake engineering. Our challenge is to integrate the non-engineering voices into our programs and advocacy messages. We have a good start, but we need to do much more.

And lastly, my experience with SESI has shown me just how powerful the urge is to “do something meaningful” with our collective talents and experience. Everybody lives in a community with schools, and as professionals we are obliged to tell the story of risk and hazard in words and actions that motivate real changes. And this message of schools needing to be safe from earthquakes and other hazards is so much bigger than just our local communities. It is a platform we need to stand on for our nation and the world.

Thank you for listening (reading). I hope to help serve EERI and hope that you will too.

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DIRECTOR B

John G. Anderson: Biography

John Anderson is a professor of geophysics in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). John teaches an annual class on the fundamentals of engineering seismology, along with other classes covering physics of the earth, theoretical seismology, seismic hazard analysis, and earthquake source physics. He has been involved in establishing strong motion networks in the US, Mexico, and Turkey, and in research on fundamental and applied problems related to seismic hazards and strong earthquake ground motions. He is currently Chair of the National Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment Steering Committee, in support of the National Seismic Hazard Map and related products of the U. S. Geological Survey, and a member of their Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee.

In the teaching role, the class on engineering seismology reaches about 30 students each year in civil engineering, geological engineering, and other majors. Anderson has also served on dozens of graduate committees for students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNR, especially students associated with the faculty in the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research and their Large-Scale Structures Laboratory and Earthquake Engineering Laboratory.

Anderson’s current research is on generation of broadband synthetic seismograms suitable for use in engineering applications, characteristics of strong motions, and estimating the magnitude of earthquakes in continental crust based on observations of mapped faults. He is an active participant in the Southern California Earthquake Center, and has collaborated with international scientists, mostly in Japan, Mexico, and Turkey, and to a lesser extent in several other countries.

Anderson has served on the Board of Directors for the Seismological Society of America and COSMOS. He has been an associate editor for the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America and guest editor for the recent Earthquake Spectra volume on the 2014 National Seismic Hazard Model. He was Director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory from 1998-2009, and also chair and then member of the Nevada Earthuqake Safety Council. He received the Bruce A. Bolt Medal of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Seismological Society of America (SSA), and COSMOS in 2015. He earned his B.S. in Physics at Michigan State University and his M.S. and Ph.D in Geophysics from Columbia University in New York.

John G. Anderson: Vision Statement

I am honored to be selected by the nominating committee to stand for election as a Director of EERI. If chosen, I will be honored to serve this community, with a vision to promote the success of future generations of U.S. and international earthquake professionals. Success should be both personal and defined by our EERI Mission and our Vision: “A world in which potential earthquake losses are widely understood and for which prudent steps have been taken to address those risks.”

I have been a member of EERI since 1980. I see EERI as the premier organization for advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering. I have also been a member of the SSA, with the vision to advance seismology and the understanding of earthquakes for the benefit of society. As exciting as the science is, my fundamental motivation has been the belief that a deep understanding of the physics of earthquakes will make the world a better, safer place to live. EERI provides interaction with earthquake professionals who appreciate that purpose, and who move the advancements in seismology into practical applications.

Earthquakes are an opportunity to learn. Many of the worst potential disasters, and also the largest knowledge gaps on the nature of the ground motions, are associated with earthquakes in the continental crust with M>7.5 – events that, fortunately, only happen once every 3-4 years on average. I would like to encourage a global vision in instrumentation especially, and also in analysis, that will reduce the uncertainties in seismic hazard models for such events, and thus refine estimates of the earthquake demands on structures, and on communities, cities, nations, and the world.

More broadly, understanding the hazard is only the first step. The greater challenge is to achieve the EERI vision in widely variable circumstances, from overcoming complacency in communities that believe preparations are adequate, to advancing resilience alongside solutions to other urgent issues in communities that are less fortunate. As a board member I would particularly like to help EERI and our international partners to make earthquake hazards and all of their impacts understood in every hazardous region of the world, in a way that will enable appropriate actions wherever they are needed.
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DIRECTOR B

William U. “Woody” Savage: Biography

William U. “Woody” Savage is currently an Adjunct Professor with the Applied Geophysics Center, an interdisciplinary group established by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Geoscience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He works with graduate students on engineering geophysics projects, and promotes the improvement of earthquake monitoring in the greater Las Vegas Valley. He has also served as the Southern Nevada Geosciences representative on the Nevada Earthquake Safety Council since 2010.

In 2001, Woody joined the USGS to manage the ANSS Strong-Motion Program from 2001-2008 in its Menlo Park, California, office. In 2008, he transferred to the Yucca Mountain Project to serve as the Project’s Seismotectonics Senior Scientist/USGS Science Advisor in Las Vegas, Nevada, until 2010, when the YMP was discontinued. He retired to USGS Emeritus Seismologist status in 2010.

During 1986-2001, Woody was a Principal Consulting Seismologist with Pacific Gas and Electric Company in San Francisco, California, serving in PG&E’s Geoscience Department under Lloyd Cluff. Woody was the lead seismologist for the Diablo Canyon Long-Term Seismic Program, and managed cooperative research projects funded by PG&E with USGS, PEER, and other gas and electric utilities. He also managed PG&E’s Seismic Risk Management Program.

During 1974-1986, Woody worked at Woodward-Clyde Consultants as a Senior Seismologist under Don Tocher and Lloyd Cluff. He provided seismological input to many earthquake engineering project teams working on nuclear power plants, major dams, and other critical facilities nationally and internationally. He helped create and subsequently managed WCC’s Pasadena, California, Office.

Woody earned a Bachelor of Arts in physics in 1966 at the University of Oregon Honors College in Eugene, Oregon, and a PhD in Geophysics (Seismology) in 1976 at the University of Nevada in Reno, Nevada.

William U. “Woody” Savage: Vision Statement

I joined EERI in 1975 at the start of my professional career. At Woodward-Clyde, PG&E, USGS, YMP, and UNLV, I found that many of my colleagues were engaged in professional organizations to further their careers in diverse ways. I followed suit, and reaped the benefits of meeting with earthquake engineers, geologists, seismologists, social scientists, and project managers under the EERI tent (and other tents as well).

EERI’s annual meeting programs have broadened in scope to address topics that involve more diverse subject-matter experts and students. I believe this trend should continue; for example, I’ve been pleased to find more discussions of lifelines included in EERI’s meetings.

I have served as Vice President on the Boards of the Seismological Society of America and the Consortium of Organizations for Strong-Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS) (I was one of the small group, including Bruce Bolt and Carl Stepp, who founded COSMOS). Upon the sudden passing of Professor Bolt, the officers of COSMOS (including me) established the Bruce Bolt Medal to recognize individuals for the promotion and transfer of strong-motion earthquake data into practice to improve seismic safety. This annual award is jointly sponsored by COSMOS, EERI and SSA. I think this multi-organizational approach for awards could include additional fields, such as lifelines and site characterization.

I have served as Co-Chair of the SSA Government Relations Committee and have been aware of the efforts of SSA, EERI, and other professional organizations to collaborate in supporting such matters as reauthorization of NEHRP. As an EERI Board member, I would encourage such collaborations regarding Congressional and state-level advocacy for funding of earthquake programs, relying on experienced EERI members and others to lend their advocacy support.

Last year, EERI leadership took the bold action of forming the EERI Public Policy and Advocacy Committee, with EERI members volunteering to participate along with several Board members. With effective guidance by the Coordinator, the participants in the PPAC have produced an initial set of documents that are ready for implementation. I am personally thrilled at the effectiveness of the PPAC to date, and am looking forward to becoming more involved in this ambitious EERI program.

After completing my term on the Board of Directors of SSA, I was asked to assess the potential for establishing a professional ethics policy for SSA, stimulated by the development by the American Geological Institute of “Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct.” In January 1998, EERI prepared a document entitled “Ethical Issues and Earthquake Risk Reduction.” Given the developing interactions among public and private agencies in the activities of the EERI Public Policy Committee, it might be timely to promote the EERI document on ethical issues in the context of the AGI and SSA efforts.

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A recording for the Ecuador Briefing Webinar is now available!

In this video, members of the EERI reconnaissance team that traveled to Ecuador to study the April 16, 2016 earthquake present their observations. In addition, the co-leader of the GEER-ATC team offered an overview of geotechnical impacts. Briefing content provides key insights into the various aspects of shaking characteristics, earthquake damage to housing and hospitals and initial response, in particular tagging issues. An overview of damage in Portoviejo and Manta is also included.

The presentations include:

• Introduction and Overview of the Earthquake
by Forrest Lanning (M. EERI, 2009) | Download Presentation PDF File
• Geotechnical Observations from the GEER-ATC Team
by Sissy Nikolaou (M. EERI, 2004) | Download Presentation PDF File | 3D Models (download file and view in your device’s pdf reader)
• Damage Observed in the Ground Zero Zone of Portoviejo
by Ana (Gabby) Haro (M. EERI, 2014) | Download Presentation PDF File
• Damage Observed in Manta
by Mei Kuen Liu (M. EERI, 2016) | Download Presentation PDF File
• Performance of Hospitals
by Adrian Tola (M. EERI, 2015) | Download Presentation PDF File
• Performance of Partitions and Cladding of Multistory Buildings
by Héctor Monzón Despang (M. EERI, 1988) | Download Presentation PDF File
• Building Tagging
by Arturo Schultz (M. EERI, 1986) | Download Presentation PDF File

PDH credits are available to attendees for a USD 30 fee. A registration link for them has been sent out in an email to all attendees. If you have any questions, please contact Shizza Fatima at shizza@eeri.org

For more information, visit the Ecuador Earthquake Virtual Clearinghouse Website.

EERI is developing a special issue of Earthquake Spectra on the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, to be published in 2017. It will be interdisciplinary in content, with a cohesive narrative thread tying the entire publication together. The editorial team (Bret Lizundia, Rachel Davidson, Youssef Hashash, and Rob Olshansky) is seeking potential authors.
Call for Abstracts Announcement Flyer (PDF)

Possible topics are listed below, with asterisked items being of particular interest. If you have expertise and interest, please submit a one-paragraph abstract, as well as the names of authors and their contact info, to Juliane Lane at juliane@eeri.org by August 8, 2016. Initial drafts of papers will be due in the fall. When appropriate, the editorial team will seek to identify possible collaborations that could improve the contributions.

Support for this special issue of Earthquake Spectra is generously provided by FM Global, U.S. Geological Survey, World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, members of the EERI Board of Directors, Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT), and EQ STRUC.

Call for Abstracts Announcement Flyer (PDF)

You Make a Difference!

The EERI Endowment Fund supports innovative and member-focused projects that improve the science and practice of earthquake engineering. Join your EERI colleagues, and generously donate to the fund today at https://www.eeri-members.org/donate-to-eeri

Please support programs that make a difference with a gift today.

Your donation does make a difference. Earnings from the endowment support projects that further the EERI mission—projects for which funds are not available from other sources, but are important to our members and the broader earthquake professional community. These projects stimulate new and unique ventures that can grow into highly regarded programs like the World Housing Encyclopedia, the Concrete Coalition, and Learning from Earthquakes. Your gift allows us to engage our members’ intellectual resources to further our objectives, exercise leadership, and serve the Institute’s mission and its members.

Your tax deductible gift will enable us to continue creating results-focused programs that make a difference in the years ahead.

Thank you so much for being part of the EERI community’s 69th year. We are member-powered, and all we do is because of your belief in building resilience and reducing earthquake risk.