Other Opportunities

EERI committees are an important means for members to advance our mission. Committees provide many opportunities for you to shape EERI’s impact and enhance your leadership skills. Join, and even lead, one of our open committees.

Professional Development Committee

Co-Chairs: Mervyn Kowalsky and Paolo Zimmaro | Staff Lead: Elizabeth Angell

The EERI Professional Development Committee oversees and deploys a comprehensive, diverse and engaging collection of webinars, called the EERI Webinar Series, that cultivate and enhance members’ knowledge and skills; and coordinates supplemental offerings by EERI programs, chapters, and committees.

To achieve this aim, the PDC: 

1. Identifies and solicits appropriate webinar topics and speakers;
2. Reviews plans and coordinates webinar offerings from other EERI programs, chapters, and committees, to identify webinars of interest to the full EERI membership to include in the EERI Webinar Series, avoid duplication of topics, prevent scheduling conflicts, and encourage complementary supplemental offerings that are focused on a smaller subsets of the membership (i.e. particular regionally appropriate webinars).
3. Ensures that EERI offers at least one high quality webinar per month.
4. Considers the appropriate niche and offerings of EERI, considering the role and focus of other organizations.

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to express your interest in joining this active, important, and highly visible committee.

Student Awards Committee

Chair: Keri Ryan | Staff Lead: Silvana Cobos

The EERI Student Awards Committee oversees and recognizes undergraduate and graduate students with awards that encourage the active involvement in earthquake engineering and the earthquake hazards community and allow emerging experts to share their research.

To achieve this aim, the SAC: 

1. Solicits and reviews applications for the EERI/FEMA NEHRP Graduate Fellowship and selects two recipients each academic year;
2. Annually reviews and selects one Graduate Paper Award winner from eligible papers from Earthquake Spectra

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to express your interest in joining this selection committee.

Fundraising

Chair: David Friedman | Staff Lead: Devon Clayton

The EERI Fundraising Committee advises the Board of Directors on EERI fundraising strategy and priorities. To achieve this aim, the Fundraising Committee:

1. Advises upon fundraising strategy and priorities for the LFE Endowment, General Endowment, Subscribing Membership, Conference Sponsorship, unique gift solicitations/opportunities, and new ideas for fundraising activities, considering alignment with other Board and Institute priorities.
2. Makes formal recommendations to the Board on fundraising campaigns and priorities.
3. Supports fundraising campaigns and efforts by soliciting donations and identifying leads.

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to express your interest in joining this important committee that is essential to ensuring EERI’s ability to have the resources it needs to thrive into the future.

Earthquake Spectra Editorial Board

Chair and Editor-in-Chief: Jack Baker | Staff Lead: Managing Editor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

The EERI Earthquake Spectra Editorial Board manages the production of Earthquake Spectra, including:

1. Identifying appropriate material, including special issues
2. Providing peer review of submitted and solicited manuscripts
3. Approving manuscripts for publication
4. Working with the Executive Director and Managing Editor to arrange for editorial guidance and final publication and
5. Monitoring and enforcing Institute policies regarding commercial product promotion
6. Selecting the Outstanding Paper Award

The Board appoints the Earthquake Spectra Editor to a term of three years. A multidisciplinary editorial board serves staggered three-year renewable terms. The editor determines the size of the Editorial Board and its activities.

Members of the Editorial Board are typically identified and selected based on the need for their disciplinary expertise and evidence of their reliable and thorough past involvement in the journal as a reviewer.

Members interested in serving on the Editorial Board should first volunteer to serve as an Earthquake Spectra reviewer by completing this reviewer interest form. Reviewers are essential to the journal's success and new volunteers are always welcome!

Invitational (Closed) Committees

EERI has a variety of selection, administrative, and other committees whose members are appointed by the Board of Directors, as dictated by our bylaws or other policies. A select list of these committees is below. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information on any of these committees or to express your interest in serving.

• Annual and National Meeting Advisory Committee. 
  • Advises upon strategy and priorities for EERI Annual Meeting and National Conferences
  • Provides feedback to the Local Organizing Committees and EERI staff.   
    Members are selected based on past involvement in EERI Annual Meeting planning and activities, especially chair of a local organizing committee.

• Audit Committee (Chair: Marshall Lew). 
  • Oversees annual audit of EERI financial statements.
• Finance Committee (Chair: Lucy Arendt, EERI Secretary/Treasurer).
  • Prepares the annual operating budget for the Institute and submit it to the Board of Directors for approval at the fall meeting of the Board. A Budget Subcommittee is often formed to lead this work.
  • Monitors the income and expenses of the institute. Chair to submit progress reports to the Board of Directors during regularly scheduled meeting, and recommend modifications to the operating budget of the Institute if necessary.
  • Reviews and makes recommendations to the Board about proposed expenditures and projected budgets for all non-operating and nonrecurring items or activities of the Institute (i.e., those items not included in the approved annual operating budget).
  • Reviews and recommends to the Board of Directors the investment or disposition of reserve funds.
• Fundraising Committee (Chair: David Friedman).
  • Advises upon fundraising strategy and priorities for the LFE Endowment, General Endowment, Subscribing Membership, Conference Sponsorship, unique gift solicitations/opportunities, and new ideas for fundraising activities, considering alignment with other Board and Institute priorities
  • Makes formal recommendations to the Board on fundraising campaigns and priorities.
  • Supports fundraising campaigns and efforts by soliciting donations and identifying leads.
• Honors Committee (Chair: Yumei Wang).
  • Annually selects the following awards: EERI Distinguished Lecture Award, The George W. Housner Medal, Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal, EERI Honorary Membership, and The EERI Younger Member Award (YMA).
• Nominating Committee (Chair: Erica Fischer).
  • Identifies a slate of candidates for the annual election to the Board of Directors.
• Shah Family Innovation Prize Selection (Chair: Scott Brandenberg).
  • Solicits and reviews nominations and selects individuals to receive the prize. The award will be presented at the EERI Annual Meeting.