Publications

Earthquake Spectra: May 2014 Issue

The May 2014 issue of Earthquake Spectra (volume 30, issue 2) is now available in print and online at http://earthquakespectra.org/toc/eqsa/30/2 , where you may browse the table of contents for your favorite topics.

In addition to traditional research manuscripts, this issue includes the publication of a new manuscript type: Data Papers, concisely written articles that describe publicly available data/data sets related to earthquake engineering or earthquake science. Data Papers were created to encourage data-sharing and increased collaboration between researchers from different institutions, as well as with practitioners and other stakeholders in the professional community. The three inaugural Data Papers in this issue (Albini et al. , Jafarzadeh et al. , and Reinert et al. ) describe very different data sets, illustrating the broad range of publicly available earthquake-related data of interest to the earthquake engineering community.

You may order additional copies at https://www.eeri.org/earthquake-spectra/ .

If you have questions about this Spectra issue, you may contact Managing Editor Liz Stalnaker at liz@eeri.org.

Earthquake Spectra Preprints

In late June and early July, several preprint manuscripts were posted on the Earthquake Spectra website prior to their formal publication. The list of new preprint manuscripts, including authors, follows:

• "Analytical Fragility Functions for Horizontally Curved Steel I-Girder Highway Bridges" by Ebrahim AmiriHormozaki (M.EERI, 2014), Gokhan Pekcan (M. EERI, 1998), and Ahmad Itani (M. EERI, 1991)

• "An NGA-West2 Empirical Model for Estimating the Horizontal Spectral Values Generated by Shallow Crustal Earthquakes" by I. M. Idriss (EERI Honorary Member; M. EERI, 1972)

• "Response Spectra at Liquefaction Sites during Shallow Crustal Earthquakes" by James R. Gingery (M. EERI, 2002), Ahmed Elgamal (M. EERI, 1987), and Jonathan D. Bray (M. EERI, 1990)

• "Correlation between ground motion and building response using Californian earthquake records" by Matthieu Perrault, and Philippe Guéguen (M. EERI, 2014)

• "Simulation-based Hanging-Wall Effects" by Jennifer Donahue (M. EERI, 2009) and Norman Abrahamson (M. EERI, 1984)

• "Comparison of NGA-West2 Directivity Models" by Paul Spudich, Badie Rowshandel (M. EERI, 1986), Shrey Shahi, Jack W. Baker (M. EERI, 2004), and Brian S.-J. Chiou

• "North Torrey Pines Bridge Seismic Retrofit: Part II, Structural Analysis and Design" by Nathan S. Johnson (M. EERI, 2012), Mark L. Creveling, and Keith J. Gazaway

• "A framework for linking community-resilience goals to specific performance targets for the built environment" by Michael Mieler (M. EERI, 2010), Bozidar Stojadinovic (M. EERI, 1992), Robert Budnitz, Mary Comerio (M. EERI, 1988), and Stephen Mahin (M. EERI, 1975)

To read preprint manuscripts or browse the complete list of preprint manuscripts, visit the Earthquake Spectra website at http://earthquakespectra.org/toc/eqsa/0/0 .

In addition, the Spectra editors also posted a Special Collection of Preprints of the papers that will be published in the NGA-West2 special issue (forthcoming, August 2014) .

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News of the Institute

Seeking Nominations for Bruce A. Bolt Medal

The Bruce A. Bolt Medal is awarded jointly by the Consortium of Strong Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS), the Seismological Society of America (SSA), and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) to recognize individuals worldwide whose accomplishments involve the promotion and use of strong-motion earthquake data and whose leadership in the transfer of scientific and engineering knowledge into practice or policy has led to improved seismic safety.

Members of COSMOS, SSA, and EERI are encouraged to submit nomination packages for this distinguished award by October 31, 2014. Nominations will be reviewed in confidence by a six-person Joint Nomination Panel formed by two representatives from each of the three sponsoring organizations. The recommended nominee will be considered in confidence by the three organizations’ board for their approval and joint selection of the medalist.

More Information
For information about the medal criteria, nomination letter, nomination package, and how to submit your nomination, visit the SSA website at http://www.seismosoc.org/awards/cosmos-eeri-ssa_bolt_medal.php.

EERI Brief for Members: Professionals and Researchers Working Together to Reduce Earthquake Risk

In a new publication created for the EERI membership titled EERI Brief for Members: Professionals and Researchers Working Together to Reduce Earthquake Risk, members will learn about some of the programs and projects that have expanded EERI’s network of professionals, and that continue the tradition of knowledge-sharing established by our first president, Professor Lydik S. Jacobsen, and continued by 23 subsequent presidents and boards.

For 66 years, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has worked to fulfill its mission of reducing earthquake risk by gathering and disseminating information about the impacts of earthquakes and advocating for realistic measures to reduce their harmful effects.

Through its numerous strategic partnerships, EERI is (1) advancing the science and practice of earthquake risk reduction, (2) connecting networks of global earthquake professionals, and (3) developing future leaders and advocates in earthquake engineering.

Printed copies of the EERI Brief for Members will arrive in the mail in early August. Student members who would like to receive a hard copy of the EERI Brief for Members should contact the EERI office at eeri@eeri.org.

To read the EERI Brief for Members (PDF) now, visit: https://www.eeri.org/publications/EERI_Brief_for_Members_issue_one.pdf .

EERI/FEMA NEHRP Graduate Fellowship Goes to Julie Fogarty

Julie Fogarty (M. EERI, 2011), a Ph.D. candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has been selected as the 2014-2015 EERI/FEMA NEHRP Graduate Fellow in Earthquake Hazard Reduction. 

EERI awards the graduate fellowship each year in a cooperative program with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 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 fellowship provides a nine-month stipend of $12,000 and an allocation of up to $8,000 for university tuition, fees, and other related research expenses.

Fogarty was 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 UCLA Professor Scott Brandenberg (M. EERI, 2001), reviewed the application packages and made the final selection.  

Fogarty’s initial research, which led to her first journal paper, focused on how steel columns lose axial capacity when parts of the flange are damaged and the load path is interrupted. The realization that cyclic bending of a column can introduce local buckling, which can create load path interruptions similar to flange damage, led her to hypothesize that such columns are vulnerable in steel special moment frame buildings in seismic zones. First floor columns are especially vulnerable because these members may undergo cyclic bending during seismic loading, leading to severe loss in load carrying capacity. This is now the topic of her dissertation. It is an area that has been rarely studied and she is one of the first people to study it using computational simulation and modeling. Based on Julie’s research findings, University of Michigan Professor Sherif El-Tawil wrote a proposal to the U.S. National Science Foundation’s NEES Planning Program. The project was funded in short order, with exceptional reviewer comments. It is rare for a Ph.D. student to be involved in writing a proposal to NSF and even rarer to help write a winning proposal.

Fogarty has a strong background in mechanics, structural engineering, and aerospace engineering that provides her with a solid base on which to build her expertise in earthquake engineering. She is president of the University of Michigan Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), and had served in the roles of vice president and treasurer in the past.

The Institute looks forward to highlighting Fogarty’s research through a presentation at the EERI 2016 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/ .

EERI Endowment Donors

EERI would like to thank the donors to the Endowment Fund and acknowledge their recent contributions. EERI’s Endowment supports innovative projects that assure the Institute’s continuing leadership in the earthquake engineering profession.

The list below reflects donations that the Institute received from January to June 2014.

$1,000 John L. Aho David W. Cocke $250-$400 Robert P. Kennedy Mark R. Pierepiekarz      Roland L. Sharpe

$100-$175 Frank M. Clemente Jr. Craig A. Cole Houman Ghalibafian Tim Hart Kazuta Hirata Ayhan Irfanoglu Annie Kammerer Julio Kuroiwa Marcia K. McLaren Ugo Morelli Jelena Pantelic Shamsher Prakash Marko I. Schotanus Mahendra P. Singh

Other Amounts Panayotis Carydis Robert Y. Chew Andrea Dargush Henri Gavin Cindy Hoover Saif M. Hussain James LaFave Janiele Maffei Chiara McKenney Chikahiro Minowa Eduardo Miranda             Lawrence D. Porter Charles R. Real Miha Tomazevic Brian L. Umbright

Honors Committee Seeks Awards Nominations

EERI's Honors Committee is charged with developing recommendations for several awards. The committee greatly depends on nominations submitted by the members of the Institute and seeks help in identifying worthy members whose contributions should be recognized.

Please consider possible candidates for the George W. Housner Medal, the Alfred Alquist Special Recognition Award, and Honorary Membership, as well as authors who deserve the 2013 Outstanding Paper Award for Earthquake Spectra (vol. 29).

Submit Your Nominations
All nominations should be accompanied by a brief justification, and must be received by August 15, 2014, in order for the Honors Committee to complete deliberations and forward its recommendations to the Board of Directors. Send your nominations to the EERI office at eeri@eeri.org. A list of all past awardees and complete descriptions of each award are accessible from http://www.eeri.org/about-eeri/honors-awards/.

All awards will be presented at EERI's Awards Luncheon at the 2015 EERI Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, March 31 – April 3, 2015.

10NCEE Web App and Early Access to Proceedings

10NCEE Web App
The conference program now is accessible on the 10NCEE web app at http://10ncee.org/10ncee-web-app.

Early Access to 10NCEE Proceedings
Conference registrants can now access all 10NCEE papers at the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) website at https://nees.org/groups/10nceeconference/resources . Login and password are required. Please be sure to sign up with the same email address used to register for 10NCEE. NEEShub registration is free.

After the conference, EERI will host 10NCEE papers on its public website; this information will be available later this year.

Speaker Ready Room
All presenters MUST submit their presentations and may practice their talks in advance of their session in the Speaker Ready Room located on the first floor, Idlughet 1, of the Dena’ina Convention Center. Presentations must be submitted at least four hours before scheduled talks. For onsite presentation upload details, visit: http://10nceetalks.org/ .

Speaker Ready Room hours are:
Monday, July 21: 2:00–6:00 p.m.
Tuesday–Thursday, July 22-24: 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Friday, July 25: 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception
Date: Monday, July 21, 2014, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
The 10NCEE and EERI Annual Meeting officially kicks off with a reception on the third floor in the Exhibit Area overlooking Anchorage and the mountains beyond. Food and drinks will greet you on the third floor foyer of the Dena’ina Convention Center. Weather permitting there will be access to the adjoining outdoor terrace with great views of Anchorage and the distant mountains. Take this opportunity to catch up with colleagues and check out the Exhibitors before the conference presentations begin. Note: Register first to pick up conference credentials and receive your drink tickets.

Things to Do in Anchorage
There is plenty to do in Anchorage. Some of the more popular attractions include the Museum of History and Fine Art , the Alaska Zoo , and the Alaska Native Heritage Center . The town is also home to the largest float or sea plane base in the world, so bear viewing and fly-in fishing trips are good choices as well. If you have time, take a stroll on The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail , designated as a National Recreation Trail for its dramatic views, or go on a day hike . Check out the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau website for more activities.

Salmon Berry Tours (http://www.salmonberrytours.com/events/10ncee/ ) offers a large number of day tours and packages with discounts for 10NCEE attendees. Phillips Cruises has a spectacular 26 Glacier Tour in Prince William Sound. To book with www.26glaciers.com , use the online discount code 10NCEE.

We look forward to seeing you soon in Anchorage for the 10NCEE!

Deadline for Joyner Lecture Nominations Extended to August 1

The William B. Joyner Memorial Lectures were established by the Seismological Society of America (SSA) in cooperation with the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) to honor Bill Joyner's distinguished career at the U.S. Geological Survey and his abiding commitment to the exchange of information at the interface of earthquake science and earthquake engineering, to keep society safer from earthquakes.

Joyner Lecturers are chosen on the basis of their work at this interface, whether they are contributions from earthquake science to earthquake engineering or from earthquake engineering to earthquake science. This year the nomination deadline has been extended to August 1, 2014.

Sponsor Nomination
The sponsor of the nominee, with help from others, must clearly document the accomplishments of the nominee that foster and enhance communication at the earthquake-science/earthquake-engineering interface, and why their work makes a difference. The sponsor will prepare a written proposal providing a brief summary of the candidate’s professional history. It may include honors and awards, professional affiliations, lectures and publications, and professional service and experience that address the intent of the Joyner Award.

Nominations for the Joyner Lecturer should be sent to the Joyner Lecture Committee at awards@seismosoc.org.

The Joyner Committee will select the Joyner Lecturer by October 1, 2014. More information on previous lecturers is at http://www.seismosoc.org/awards/joyner/joyner_lectures.php .

EERI Online Membership Directory and 2014 Printed Roster

Last year EERI successfully launched a secure Online Membership Directory , which requires member login and password. This directory is accessible to all EERI members and is searchable by first name, last name, member type, discipline, state, and country. Other benefits include: dynamic real-time data updates; cross-reference search capability; clickable email addresses; accessibility from any Internet device; reduction of the Institute's carbon footprint; saving office and bookshelf space; and cost effectiveness.

Opt In for 2014 Printed Roster
Members who are interested in receiving the printed EERI Membership Roster this year should submit a request by July 28, 2014 at https://eeri.org/cohost/registration/2014-printed-roster .

More Info
For more information about the EERI Online Membership Directory and/or the printed roster, please contact the Institute at eeri@eeri.org.

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Announcements

UN Seeks Nominations for 2015 Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction

For the 2015 Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction, the United Nations is seeking nominations for individuals or organizations that are visionary and able to anticipate future needs.

Ideal nominees collaborate with others to manage disaster risk whether at the national, local, or community level. They are practical and strive to make the best use of assets — such as funds, human resources, intellectual property, institutions and systems — that are currently at their community’s disposal. The award winner will be announced on March 17, 2015 at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan.

To read more about the award and get tips on how to submit a nomination, visit: http://www.wcdrr.org/sasakawa/ . The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2014.

Global Earthquake Model: Watch the New GEM at-a-Glance Video

With the release of the OpenQuake platform by the end of this year, the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) confirms its role as an international forum where sharing knowledge and resources is essential to broadening the understanding of seismic risk worldwide.

Through a global collaborative effort, GEM aims to bridge gaps in many vulnerable countries by working with local scientists and experts. The open tools and resources that GEM develops facilitate individuals and organizations to provide knowledge to policy makers and help inform decisions that impact resilience of communities to earthquakes.

The GEM video shows its core objectives and goals, with interviews from a wide selection of organizations, experts, partners, and scientists jointly calling for a collaborative international effort to reduce earthquake risk and to empower risk resilience and risk mitigation worldwide.

Continuous contributions from different audiences — governments, private companies, associations, communities and academics — gives GEM the ability to work towards a much better, transparent, comparative, and effective understanding and management of seismic risk worldwide.

Check out the tools and products that are already available, share your knowledge and data on buildings and earthquake consequences, and provide your feedback now, but especially also when the platform will become available. Visit the GEM website at http://www.globalquakemodel.org/gem/ .

6th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering: Call for Abstracts

Abstract submission is now open for the 6th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering (6ICEGE) in Christchurch, New Zealand, November 2–4, 2015.

Prospective authors are invited to submit abstracts in a broad range of topics in the field of earthquake geotechnical engineering and soil dynamics. Abstract submissions are limited to one abstract per lead/submitting author. Intending authors are invited to submit an abstract in English of 200 to 300 words, with a title, author's names, affiliations and the main author's mailing address (fax and email).

For more information about the conference, visit: http://www.6icege.com/call-for-abstracts/ . Abstract submissions are due Monday, September 1, 2014.

PEER NGA-West2 Online Ground Motion Database Updated and Expanded

Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is pleased to announce the release of an updated and enhanced PEER NGA-West2 Online Ground Motion Database .

The PEER NGA-West2 Online Ground Motion Database is a tool for searching, selecting and downloading ground motion time series. This update consists of a major expansion of the dataset, as well as expanded functionality and improved performance. To improve usability, the online tool allows searching and scaling on more components than the geometric mean, such as the SRSS which is used by building codes.

In this update, users can download recorded acceleration time series in horizontal and vertical directions, as well as the corresponding velocity and displacement time series. Please note that users need to register and log in to use the online tool at http://ngawest2.berkeley.edu/ .

International Forum on Civil Engineering Reform: A Strategic Roadmap to Global Prosperity and Resiliency

The International Forum on Civil Engineering Reform (IFCER-2014) will be held on October 11-12, 2014 in Nanjing, China. The program for this forum includes cutting-edge keynote presentations from leading global researchers working in the domain of hazard mitigation and community resiliency followed by breakout group discussions.

Hundreds of experts from the civil engineering profession are anticipated to participate in the forum. The overarching goal of the forum is to identify the pressing grand challenges facing the civil engineering profession and to create technology and policy roadmaps aimed toward aggressively tackling those grand challenges via innovation and technology. Interested attendees are invited to visit the forum website at http://www.ifcet2014.com/ .

Welcome New EERI Members

EERI would like to take this opportunity to welcome new members who have joined the Institute this spring (mid March to mid June).

If you would like to connect with these new members, find them in the EERI online membership directory, which requires logging into the Member Resources Area of the EERI website.

REGULAR MEMBERS
Jon Ake, US NRC, Seismologist
Erfan Alavi, Sazeh Consultants
Juan Baez, Advanced Geosolutions Inc (AGI)
Christopher Burton, GEM Foundation
Nadia Carlevaro, SDC
Whitney Ciani, GeoEngineers Inc
Kevin Clahan, Lettis Consultants Intl Inc, Engineering Geologist
Edward Cole, Ringfeder Power Transmission USA Corp
Carlos Cruz-Noguez, University of Alberta, Structural Engineering
Masume Dana, Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc
Huseyin Darama, Arup
Osiris De Leon, Geofitec SA
Carlos de Oliveira, Cast Connex
Martin Deveci
Rajesh Dhakal, University of Canterbury
Dmytro Dizhur, University of Auckland
Andrew Dolan, Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP
Stephanie Earls, Washington Geology Library, Information Science
Mohamed El-Gawady, Missouri University of Science & Technology
Jack Everts, ExxonMobil Development Co
Marco Faggella, Sapienza University of Rome
Ke Fan, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Geotechnical Engineering
Caroline Francois-Holden, GNS Science
Douglas Gadow, Linchpin Structural Engineering Inc, Structural Engineering
Rodrigo Garay-Medina
John Grimble, ITT Endine Inc
Issam Harik, University of Kentucky, Civil Engineering
Robert Harn, Berger/ABAM Engineers
Alidad Hashemi, Bechtel Corp
Zheng He, Dalian University of Technology
Gary Ho, City & County of San Francisco, Structural Engineering
Daryn Hobbs, HDR Engineering Inc
Mamoru Iwata, Kanagawa University
Yavuz Kaya, University of British Columbia
Do-Kyoun Kim, KISTEC
Shoichi Kishiki, Osaka Institute of Technology
Monica Kohler, California Institute of Technology
Stephen LaBounty, Pacific EQ Engineering Research Center (PEER)
Martin Lawrence, BC Hydro
Ying-Cheng Lin, University of Alabama
Quincy Ma, University of Auckland, Structural Engineering
Mabel-Cristina Marulanda, Ingeniar - Cimne
Robert Merkel, Thornton Tomasetti Inc, Structural Engineering
Neil Moore, Neil Moore & Associates, Structural Engineering
Alex Murahidy, MC Consulting Engineers
Hiroshi Murakami, Association for Development of Earthquake Prediction
Muralee Muraleetharan, University of Oklahoma
David Ojala, Exponent
Jae-Young Park, KISTEC
Sangjoon Park, Validus Re
Stephen Platt, Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd
Maria Polese, University of Naples
Cindi Preller, NOAA/NWS/AR, Geologist
Vijay Puri, So Illinois University
Mark Qian, Metro Vancouver
Garlan Ramadhan
Gordon Randall, Fairweather LLC
Yossi Reichman, ISS
Shubin Ruan, ITT Enidine Inc
Benjamin Schafer, Johns Hopkins University
Mukat Sharma, IIT Roorkee, Seismologist
Carol Shield, University of Minnesota, Civil Engineering
Mike Stannard, NZ Government Chief Engineer
Hadi Suroor, Technip, Geotechnical Engineering
Adam Terronez, BSK Associates
Sjoerd van Ballegooy, Tonkin & Taylor
Richard Woods, University of Michigan, Geotechnical Engineering
Zuozhou Zhao, Tsinghua University
Thomas Zimmie, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS
Ebrahim Amirihormozaki, Simon Wong Engineering, Structural Engineering
Kevin Boles, Linchpin Structural Engineering Inc, Structural Engineering
Seku Catacoli, BC Hydro, Structural Engineering
Chris de la Torre, Hart Crowser Inc, Geotechnical Engineering
Steven Fulmer, Exponent, Structural Engineering
Vitor Silva, GEM Foundation, Risk Analysis

STUDENT MEMBERS
Saber Ale-Sahob-Fosoul, University of Isfahan, Structural Engineering
M.J. Ameli, University of Utah, Structural Engineering
Hamed Amouzegar, University of Massachusetts, Structural Engineering
Lautaro Arevalo-Soldati, Stanford University, Civil Engineering
Carl Bernier, Universite de Sherbrooke, Structural Engineering
Alyssa Bettinger, Urban Planning
Jeremy Bowers, Virginia Tech, Structural Engineering
Jason Brenner, SUNY Buffalo, Civil Engineering
Lucile Bruhat, Stanford University, Geophysics
Angelica Cabal, San Jose State University, Civil Engineering
Shannel Cheung, Education
Yiu-Chun Cheung, San Jose State University, Civil Engineering
Rachel Chicchi, Purdue University, Structural Engineering
John Dang, Civil Engineering
Brandon Dashwood, University of California Davis, Structural Engineering
Dan Dela Pena, University of British Columbia, Structural Engineering
Jocelyn Diaz, California State University Long Beach, Civil Engineering
You Dong, Lehigh University, Loss Reduction
Saba Esmailzadeh, Texas A&M University, Geotechnical Engineering
Zachary (Zack) Fallert, University of Missouri-Columbia, Geotechnical Engineering
Zabdiel Garcia, Cal Poly Pomona, Civil Engineering
Jesus Gonzalez, University of California Davis, Civil Engineering
Mark Hare, SUNY Buffalo, Civil Engineering
Eric Hauser, University of Minnesota, Civil Engineering
Laura Hillman, Purdue University, Structural Engineering
Luke Horsager, University of Minnesota
Alvaro Hurtado-Chaparro, Universidad de los Andes, Structural Engineering
Kevin Jackowski, Purdue University, Civil Engineering
Ming Jin, Civil Engineering
Alexandria (Alex) Julius, Smith College
Ryan Kelly, University of Minnesota, Civil Engineering
Anna Kelting, SUNY Buffalo, Civil Engineering
Naeem Khoshnevis, University of Memphis, Seismology
Kimberly Kilroy, Oregon State University, Structural Engineering
Benjamin Koenig, University of Missouri - Columbia, Civil Engineering
Samy Labbouz, Princeton University, Structural Engineering
Kayte McAfoose, New Mexico State University, Structural Engineering
Ali Mehrsoroush, University of Nevada-Reno, Civil Engineering
Phillip Moore, University of NE - Lincoln (Omaha), Structural Engineering
Samuel Morris, New Mexico State University, Civil Engineering
Leary Pakiding, Lehigh University, Structural Engineering
Ryan Proud, SUNY Buffalo, Civil Engineering
Connor Reising, Purdue University, Structural Engineering
Jose Rincon-Garcia, Universidad de los Andes, Structural Engineering
M. Abdullah Sandikkaya, Tubitak, Geotechnical Engineering
Debarshi Sen, Rice University, Civil Engineering
Jian Song, Virginia Tech, Geotechnical Engineering
Travis Thonstad, University of Washington, Structural Engineering
Olga Tomin, Ohio State University, Structural Engineering
Zachary (Zach) Treece, University of Missouri-Columbia, Geotechnical Engineering
Marisol Tsui, Purdue University, Civil Engineering
Kristin Ulmer, Brigham Young University, Geotechnical Engineering
Charlie Vermace, University of Minnesota, Structural Engineering
Kevin Vicente, Civil Engineering
Joseph Voors, Purdue University, Civil Engineering
Justin Watkins, University of California Davis, Structural Engineering
Brett Whitchurch, University of California Davis, Structural Engineering
Wendy Xu, University of British Columbia, Structural Engineering
Elliot Yii, University of British Columbia, Civil Engineering
Boya Yin, Duke University, Structural Engineering
Zhi Zhou, Stanford University, Structural Engineering

E-AFFILIATE MEMBERS
Mohammad Reza Ameri-Kaznouni, Kharazmi University, Structural Engineering
Ozgur Avsar, Anadolu University, Structural Engineering
Ihsan-Engin Bal, Istanbul Technical University, Structural Engineering
Maria Gomez-Soberon, UNAM, Structural Engineering
Mohammad Khanmohammadi, University of Tehran, Structural Engineering
Tomas Nunez, TNA, Structural Engineering
Tushar Padhy, VIT University, Education
Eleni Smyrou, Istanbul Technical University, Structural Engineering
Hossein Tajmir-Riahi, University of Isfahan, Structural Engineering
Edgar Tapia-Hernandez, UAM Azcapotzalco, Structural Engineering

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Student Spotlight

EERI Student Chapter Activities: University of Minnesota

EERI Student Chapters engage in technical and social activities year-round, including hosting EERI Distinguished Lecturers and practitioners as part of the Friedman Family Visiting Professional Program. Many chapters also enter the annual EERI Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition (SDC). Described below are some of the student chapters' most energetic organizational and outreach efforts from their 2013–2014 annual report.

EERI Student Chapter at the University of Minnesota
The officers of the EERI Student Chapter at the University of Minnesota (UMN) are: President Benjamin Dymond (M. EERI, 2012), VP Davide Giannuzzi (M. EERI, 2013), Secretary Qingzhi Liu (M. EERI, 2012), Treasurer Alireza Nojavan (M. EERI, 2012), Competition Coordinator Catherine Johnson (M. EERI, 2013). Dr. Catherine E. Wolfgram French (M. EERI, 1984), UMN CSE Distinguished Professor, is the student chapter's faculty advisor.

The student chapter promoted the field of earthquake engineering at the UMN College of Science and Engineering booth at the Minnesota State Fair, the college's Math and Science Family Fun Fair, and Tech Fest at The Works in Bloomington. The chapter also organized three teams that entered the International Paper Truss Competition.

Members of the student chapter watched a webcast of UC Berkeley Professor Mary Comerio's (M. EERI, 1988) distinguished lecture titled "Resilience — An Engineering Challenge." They also hosted Laura Anderson from Parsons Brinckerhoff who presented a seminar titled "Maintaining Minnesota's Unique Bridge Inventor."

2014 EERI Seismic Design Competition
A team of undergraduate students from the EERI student chapter placed in the top 10 for their proposal submitted to the EERI Seismic Design Competition (SDC) to be held at 10NCEE and the 2014 EERI Annual Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The team of seven will attend the competition fully funded with corporate sponsorship from the following: MN Structural Engineers Association; AEC Engineering; Mattson, Macdonald, and Young Structural Engineers; MTS; HGA Engineers; BKBM Engineers; Van Sickle, Allen and Associates; Parsons Brinckerhoff; Ericksen Roed and Associates.

EERI officers and a representative from the SDC shake table team visited four of the corporate sponsors for a brown bag lunch session. During the visit, presentations were made to give a background on the EERI student group and upcoming competition in Alaska as well as current earthquake related research at the University of Minnesota.

Call for Annual Report of Activities from EERI Student Chapters
EERI Student Chapter officers are encouraged to submit their annual report of chapter activities to Juliane Lane at the EERI Office via email at eeri@eeri.org. The reports will be published on the Student Chapters section of the EERI website and will be featured in upcoming issues of The Pulse throughout the year. Submit your chapter's annual report of activities to EERI today!

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Program Updates

EERI Post-Graduation Interns: Summer 2014

Three new post-graduation interns recently joined the EERI office in Oakland, California. The Institute would like to introduce Alex Julius, Erik McAdams, and Eddie Vega.

Alex Julius (M. EERI, 2014) graduated with a B.S. in Engineering Science and a B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy from Smith College in 2014, where she focused on the technical and political complexity of disaster risk reduction. She fell in love with Earthquake Engineering while working for the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) and is excited to further explore the interdisciplinary nature of Earthquake Engineering while at EERI before pursuing graduate studies.

Erik McAdams is a recent graduate of Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. While at Santa Clara University he developed a curiosity in earthquake engineering through structural engineering projects. Most recently, he worked on developing bamboo to bamboo structural connections for seismic areas as a senior thesis. Erik will pursue an M.S. in Structural Engineering next fall at Stanford University.

Eddie Vega (M. EERI, 2013) is a recent graduate from Cal Poly Pomona and a current Masters student at Stanford University in the Structural Engineering and Geomechanics program. His interest in earthquake engineering was ignited through an internship at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center at UC Berkeley. His love for the field stems from its undeniable relevance and non-peripheral ability to make significant contributions to society. Eddie plans on fulfilling an active role in industry after completing his graduate studies.

Through their work at EERI the interns will gain professional experience, exposure to the multidisciplinary aspects of earthquake engineering, and the opportunity to network with others in the profession. Each intern will focus on a specific endeavor of EERI. Alex is working on the California Earthquake Clearinghouse , Eddie is furthering the efforts of the Concrete Coalition , and Erik is contributing to the NSF Resilience Observatory project . Their roles, both in tandem and separately, will further progress EERI’s mission — to gather and disseminate information about earthquake risk reduction and to advocate for realistic measures to reduce the harmful effects of earthquakes.

Student Resumes Online

As a service to EERI student members who are exploring the job market, student member resumes have been posted on EERI’s website at https://www.eeri.org/student-member-resumes/ . EERI member firms with openings are encouraged to browse the online resumes as EERI student members have demonstrated interest in earthquake engineering. Graduation dates on the student resumes range from now to spring 2017; and degrees include doctorates, master’s, and bachelor’s.

The resumes represent the following universities:

• California Institute of Technology
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
• California State University, Long Beach
• Cornell University
• Duke University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Lehigh University
• McMaster University
• Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Purdue University
• San Jose State University
• State University of New York at Buffalo
• The University of Texas at Austin
• Universidad de Costa Rica
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, Irvine
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of California, San Diego
• University of Canterbury
• University of Nevada, Reno
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• University of Puerto Rico
• University of Southern California
• Virginia Tech
• Western Washington University.

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Member Spotlight

Ken Elwood Named MBIE Chair in Earthquake Engineering at the University of Auckland

Effective July 1, 2014, Professor Ken Elwood, EERI Board member and LFE Chair (M. EERI, 1994), moved from the University of British Columbia to New Zealand to accept the newly created Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) Chair in Earthquake Engineering at the University of Auckland .

Through this position, Elwood will provide input to the Building Systems Performance Branch within MBIE as it works to address the recommendations arising from the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission, an inquiry into the failure of buildings that occurred during the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. As someone who experienced the destruction and aftermath of that earthquake first-hand, and subsequently co-led the EERI reconnaissance team, Elwood is keenly aware of the challenges facing Christchurch.  

Elwood received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002, M.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1995, and B.A.Sc. from the University of British Columbia in 1993. He is a registered professional engineer in British Columbia. Elwood is actively involved in research related to the seismic response of existing structures, focusing on seismic assessment of older concrete and masonry buildings. He has received several awards for his research including the Earthquake Spectra Outstanding Paper Award in 2009 and the Chester P. Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research from the American Concrete Institute (ACI) in 2007. He has served as a member of several building code and standards committees including the ACI 318H (Seismic Provisions), ASCE 41, and the Standing Committee for Earthquake Design for the National Building Code of Canada.

An important component of the new MBIE Chair position is to help facilitate collaboration in earthquake engineering research between New Zealand and international partners. Elwood is honored to assist in this collaboration and to further New Zealand's reputation for excellence in earthquake engineering research.

Brendon Bradley Receives Shamsher Prakash Annual Prize

The Shamsher Prakash Foundation gives the 2014 Shamsher Prakash Research Award in Geotechnical Engineering to Dr. Brendon Bradley (M. EERI, 2012) at the University of Canterbury. The award recognizes young engineers, scientists, and researchers who have made significant independent contributions and show promise of excellence in research.

Dr. Bradley has shown international research leadership in several emerging fields of earthquake engineering. His most notable research contributions are: (1) system-specific seismic loss assessment and methodologies for performance-based earthquake engineering, including numerous applications to soil-foundation-structure problems; (2) Empirical analysis of ground motion intensity, in particular, detailed analyses of the observed ground motions in the 2010-2011 Canterbury, New Zealand earthquakes; and (3) development and open-source implementation of the generalized conditional intensity measure (GCIM) approach for ground motion selection. 

Dr. Bradley’s research (including over 65 journal papers) has been highly cited, and he has delivered several plenary and invited lectures at international conferences, particularly in relation to the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes.

To learn more about the Prakash Prize, visit the foundation website at http://www.yoga10.org/prize_excel_MST.html .

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