NEWS OF THE INSTITUTE

Recent Friedman Family Visit Summaries

EERI’s Friedman Family Visiting Professionals (FFVP) program brings together professionals in the earthquake engineering and risk reduction field and universities from around the world through an on-campus visit and lecture. Below are highlights from a few recent visits, written by the students who attended.

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Jay Wilson at the University of Victoria (3/6/2026)

Having Jay Wilson join us at the University of Victoria (UVIC) was incredibly insightful and so much fun. Learning about the interactions between earthquakes, climate, and energy policy related to many of the courses taken in our green civil engineering program here at UVIC. Even though the topic of earthquakes may be scary, Jay made us all feel excited and hopeful of the impacts we can make in the earthquake engineering world.

James Malley at the University of Texas at Austin (3/13/2026)

The UT Austin EERI Student Chapter hosted Jim Malley for the Friedman Family Visiting Professionals Program in March 2026. Jim provided students with valuable insight into professional practice in structural engineering. Through a lecture, lab tour, and informal discussions, curious undergraduate longhorns were able to learn about the day-to-day realities of engineering work, firm operations, and career development. The visit fostered meaningful engagement between students and an experienced industry leader, offering practical perspectives that complement their academics.

Arash Nasseri at the University of Toronto (4/2/2026)

Dr. Arash Nasseri visited the University of Toronto EERI Student Chapter on April 2, 2026, as part of the Friedman Family Visiting Professionals Program. The full-day visit included tours of the UofT campus and Structural Testing Facilities, followed by a guest lecture on earthquake catastrophe modeling and its role in risk management. The lecture sparked an active Q&A followed by an informal networking session, where students discussed seismic risk and career pathways in industry with Dr. Nasseri. He also provided technical guidance to the Undergraduate Seismic Design Team on their 2026 competition work, and the day concluded with dinner alongside the UT-EERI Executive Team.

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13NCEE

2 Weeks Left to Register Before Prices Increase

There is only TWO WEEKS LEFT before registration rates increase by $100 for the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (13NCEE) taking place in Portland, Oregon from July 13-17, 2026! Current registration rates are available through May 31, 2026, so register now to AVOID the price increase.

View the registration page here for rates, information, and a link to the registration portal. EERI members receive the best rates, so we recommend you renew or join before you register. Check out the Partner-Organized Workshops and Tours, and make your plans by looking at the Schedule at a Glance and the full technical program.

Last Chance for Portland CEI Hub Boat Tour

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to examine the geotechnical risk, infrastructure systems and resilience challenges on the guided boat tour of Portland’s Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) HUB, a nationally significant concentration of fuel storage facilities located along the Willamette River.

Date: Friday, July 17, 2026

Time: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Registration: $75

Register by May 31, 2026 to reserve your spot.

If we don’t get enough registrants, the boat tour may be cancelled.

Register for the Tour HERE

To attend, add this tour when registering for the 13NCEE. If you’ve already registered, directions on how to modify your registration and add this tour can be found HERE.

Conference Hotel Rooms are Filling Up – Book Now

EERI encourages you to stay at the conference headquarters hotel, the Hyatt Regency. This will allow you to take full advantage of the conference networking opportunities, and ensure the shortest walk to the conference venue at the Oregon Convention Center. Book your stay at the Hyatt Regency. EERI’s special room rates are available through June 19, 2026, but rooms are LIMITED, so book soon. You can find more information about the hotel HERE.

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NEWS OF THE INSTITUTE

2026 March Board Meeting Highlights

The EERI Board of Directors met in-person on Thursday, March 5, 2026 at the offices of Degenkolb Engineers in Oakland. EERI President Ellen Rathje chaired the meeting. The Board welcomed new President-Elect Scott Ashford, Director Henry Burton and Director Emel Seyhan, and unanimously elected Ashley Morales-Cartagena as 2026 Vice President and Keith Knudsen as 2026 Secretary-Treasurer.

The Board reviewed the new 2026 EERI Federal & State Policy Priorities prepared by the Public Policy and Advocacy (PPA) Committee that is intended for use as a framework by EERI and its regional chapters. The Board discussed the Executive Director’s report, financial and membership reports, and approved use of the Mujumdar estate gift to support early career member participation at the 13NCEE and the LFE Travel Study Program Trip to Taiwan. Board liaison assignments to various EERI Committees were reviewed along with EERI’s conflict of interest policy. The Board approved a new EERI student chapter in Turkey and minutes from previous Board meetings.

The Learning From Earthquakes (LFE) Program Co-Chair Robb Moss attended the afternoon session with the Board. He shared progress about the transition in LFE leadership to him and Ayse Hortacsu, and the LFE committee structure. He joined in subsequent Board discussions about the 2026-2028 Strategic Plan. The Board and staff held working sessions to refine the 6-12 month action plans for each goal. Planned activities aligned with 13NCEE will include a member feedback and listening session on future directions for EERI, a matching gift campaign for individual giving, and various communication strategies.

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AWARDS

Now’s the time to nominate a colleague for one of EERI's Awards and Honors!

Nominate a colleague today for one of EERI’s prestigious awards! The selection committees depend on your nominations to identify members whose contributions should be recognized. The committees consider all nominations and provide recommendations to the EERI Board of Directors. More Information found HERE.

Nomination and Application Process:

Nominations or applications are being accepted for the Housner Medal, Alquist Medal, Distinguished Lecturer, Honorary Member, Bolt Medal, Joyner Lecturer, Shah Prize, and Early Career Member Award. Please review each award's description, criteria, and nomination requirements and submit the appropriate form. All nominations and applications are due June 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

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WEBINARS

Quick Quake Briefing 2026 Nevada Earthquake

EERI’s Northern California Regional Chapter is hosting a FREE webinar on the recent M5.7 Western Nevada Earthquake. The earthquake occurred on April 13, 2026 at 6:29 p.m. local time, about 40 miles east of Reno.

Thursday, June 11, 2026

12:00 - 1:00 PM Pacific Time

REGISTER HERE

Speakers:

• Dr. Christie Rowe is the Director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno. Presentation: Seismological characteristics of the event and historical earthquakes in the region.

• Dr. Nicolas Luco is a Supervisory Research Civil Engineer with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Project Leader for the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.  Presentation: Overview of USGS National Seismic Hazard Model and ASCE 7 Standard shaking in the Reno region.

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STUDENTS

Student Chapter Annual Report Submission

EERI Student Chapter Annual Reports are due Monday, June 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT.

We kindly ask faculty advisors to forward this information to the appropriate student chapter officers at your institution and encourage them to submit their PDF report using the required template at the following link: Student Annual Report Submission Form.

If your institution does not currently have an active student chapter, please feel free to share this message with interested students or direct them to eeri@eeri.org for guidance on starting or reestablishing a chapter.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Applications Open for IDEAAL @ Tohoku (Japan)

Interested in gaining hands-on disaster and public health research training in the area affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami? Apply to IDEAAL @ Tohoku before June 2, 2026.

Co-hosted by the Center for Disaster Resilient Communities at the University of Washington and the International Research Institute of Disaster Science at Tohoku University, IDEAAL @ Tohoku is a one-week, in-person training held in Sendai, Japan for advanced graduate students and early-career researchers performing disasters and public health research.

For more information, visit their website or view the program flyer.

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SUBSCRIBING MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Bronze Members

ENGEO is an award-winning, employee-owned firm of more than 400 geotechnical and civil engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, water resources engineers, and other specialists serving a diverse range of public and private clients on projects across the world. ENGEO has served many projects with complex engineering and geologic challenges, incorporating advanced methods and expertise to perform site-specific geotechnical earthquake engineering to precisely quantify seismic hazards, optimize designs, and apply performance-based engineering.

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Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc. is an award-winning San Francisco-based structural and earthquake engineering firm. The firm brings substantial experience in the design of new and rehabilitated facilities of various types of construction, with expertise on all aspects of structural engineering and seismic design, including cost-effective and innovative design solutions.

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NEWS OF THE PROFESSION

Links to Recent News & Views

• Alaska's 2025 mega tsunami highlights risk to cruise lines as glaciers retreat (The Guardian)

• Major earthquake fears as Iran's capital Tehran shaken by several tremors (The Independent)

• The Earth beneath the Pacific Northwest is tearing apart. Here's how scientists know (ABC News)

• Experts weigh in on earthquake swarms as shaking continues south of Salton Sea (KESQ)

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