News of the Institute
Farzad Naeim to be Awarded the 2017 Bruce A. Bolt Medal
Farzad Naeim (M. EERI, 1983), President of Farzad Naeim, Inc., and Adjunct Professor of Engineering at University of California, Irvine, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Bruce A. Bolt Medal. The Bruce 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.
For more than three decades, Dr. Naeim has been making significant contributions to earthquake engineering, technology and public policy. He consistently demonstrates extraordinary leadership transferring knowledge into practice to improve seismic safety. A prime example is his ongoing work with the City of Los Angeles to develop regulations for the design and construction of very tall buildings. His input and perseverance has resulted in significant seismic safety improvements in Los Angeles and other major cities.
Dr. Naeim has tirelessly served in leadership roles, including President of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Editor-in-Chief of Earthquake Spectra, Chair of the Governance Board of the U.S. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), and Chair of the 10th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering. He currently serves on the Seismic Advisory Board of the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) and is the Chair of the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Advisory Committee of the California Geological Survey.
Before founding his own firm, as Technical Director and General Counsel at John A. Martin & Associates (JAMA), Dr. Naeim established a mission to take the best technology publicly available and develop it into tailor-made design methodologies, analysis software, and earthquake-resistant design technologies that improve seismic safety. Over the years, he has developed 48 software systems for earthquake engineering design and education.
Dr. Naeim has often been recognized for excellence in his field. He received the Fazlur Khan Medal for life-time achievement from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and has been awarded six Outstanding Journal Paper Awards from the Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structure and Design Council. He has authored four textbooks, 14 textbook chapters, more than 120 journal papers, and is the recipient of grants from such diverse agencies as EERI, FEMA, the County of Los Angeles, the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program, Applied Technology Council (ATC), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), for studying various damage characteristics of earthquakes and their impact on seismic design practice. Not one to rest on his laurels, 20 years after receiving his Ph.D., Farzad obtained a Juris Doctor degree. In addition to being a licensed Civil and Structural Engineer, he is a licensed Patent Attorney.
Dr. Naeim will receive the Bruce Bolt Medal at the EERI Annual Meeting on March 7-10, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. More information can be found at EERI.org.
Don't be Left Behind! Renew your EERI Membership for 2017
If you have not already renewed your EERI membership for 2017, please don't wait.
Whether you've read an Earthquake Spectra article; followed news pertinent to our profession in The Pulse of Earthquake Engineering e-newsletter; searched for and found colleagues in our online Membership Directory; browsed our online Earthquake Photo Galleries; participated in an EERI project; attended an EERI meeting, workshop, seminar; or plan to attend the 69th Annual Conference in Portland this year, we hope you continue to find value in your EERI membership.
Every year since 1948, EERI has strived to fulfill its mission — to gather and disseminate information about earthquake risk reduction and to advocate for realistic measures to reduce the harmful effects of earthquakes. In the face of natural disasters, multidisciplinary collaborations are critical to our earthquake risk reduction mission — and so is your continued membership and support.
On January 10, all EERI members (except student and honorary members) were sent via email a renewal notice for 2017. Following the renewal link in your email will direct you to a personal renewal page showing contact information with options for selecting chapter membership and making a voluntary contribution to the EERI Endowment Fund. If you can’t locate the email, don’t fret. You can simply click here to login and renew your membership.
For questions about membership, please contact Juliane Lane at Juliane@eeri.org.
Register for the EERI 69th Annual Meeting
EERI 69th Annual Meeting
"The Really Big One: The Road to Resilience"
March 7-10, 2017
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
New workshops added:
Post Earthquake Reconnaissance Workshop (PERW)
Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage (FEMA E-74)
Sign up now to receive the best discounts - rates increase February 8th.
Meet, network with, and learn from hundreds of fellow professionals in practice and research. Attend lectures, special sessions, breakouts, the EERI seismic design competition and team auction. Need more reasons to attend? Portland's unexpected attractions range from gardens and museums to breweries, artisan markets, hand roasted coffee, doughnuts to die for, the longest running farmers market in the nation and the largest independent bookstore in the world.
Check out the complete list of Things to do in Portland on our 2017 Annual Conference website.
Welcome New Members
Welcome New Members
EERI welcomes members who have recently joined the Institute. If you wish to connect with your fellow members, you can locate their contact information in the EERI online membership directory, which requires logging in to the Member Resources Area of the EERI website.
REGULAR
JunHee Kim, Yonsei University
Taiki Saito, Toyohashi University of Technology
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
Panagiota (Yota) Kokkali, WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, Geotechnical
STUDENT
Ahmed Al-Kashri, UCLA, Civil
Bryan Wen Xi Ong, UCLA, Civil
Donations
EERI Endowment Donors
EERI would like to thank 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 recent donations to the Institute.
| $1,200 Thomas O'Rourke |
$700 G. Rodolfo Saragoni |
$100 - $250 |
Other Amounts |
Thank you for your support!
Back to top >News of the Profession
Links to Recent News and Views
Ten Recent Stories, Reports, or Opinions from Around the Web
Natural Hazards of 2016 (USGS Press Release) The U.S. Geological Survey works with partners to monitor, assess and conduct research on a wide range of natural hazards so that policymakers and the public have the understanding they need to enhance preparedness, response and resilience. Read More 
Portland State University Tests New Green Wood's Seismic Strength (Pamplin Media Group) Peter Dusicka (M. EERI, 2000), associate professor at PSU's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the lead investigator on a 3-year $400,000 National Science Foundation grant to study two aspects of mass timber construction: its sustainability and how well it resists earthquakes. Read More
Nepal Removes Leader of Earthquake Post-quake Rebuilding Effort (New York Times) Nepal, still in shambles after two devastating earthquakes, removed its top reconstruction official on Wednesday (01/11/17) and reinstalled his predecessor. Read More
Haunting Drone Footage Shows Towns Destroyed by Italy's Earthquakes Blanketed in Snow as Polar Front Sweeps Over the Country (The Telegraph) Haunting drone footage has been released of Amatrice, the hilltop town worst hit by Italy's earthquake last summer, blanketed in snow. Read More
Scientists Worry Italy's Next Earthquake Might Topple Michelangelo's David (IFLScience) Michelangelo's statue of David has been standing proud for 500 years. However, scientists and art historians are becoming concerned the 5.2-meter (17') statue in Florence is at risk of collapsing during Italy's next earthquake, the Times reports. Read More
Istanbul's Biggest Threat Doesn't Come From Terrorists (Washington Post) The Turkish government has previously announced several campaigns to address the seismic risk Istanbul faces. Read More
Subsea Double-Decker Eurasia Tunnel Opens (Civil Engineer) The Eurasia tunnel in Turkey which connects Asia and Europe has opened. Engineering challenges included a world-first where 13.7m wide seismic rings were mounted for increasing earthquake resistance a depth of 106m. The 14.6km tunnel has taken more than 14 million man hours to construct with 700 engineers working on the project. Read More
Seahawks Score Touchdown and Fans Shake Earthquake Monitors (Live Science) The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network installed monitors to measure the rumble created by Seahawks fans at CenturyLink Field during Saturday's game against the Detroit Lions. Read More
Here Are a Few Things You May Not Have Known About Earhtquake Insurance in California (Pasadena Star News) Many have not opted to get earthquake coverage because they think rates are higher than they really are. But Glenn Pomeroy, CEO of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), is looking to change that. Read More
As Earthquake Threat to Seawall Looms, Can San Francisco Find Billions to Fix It? (Hoodline) San Francisco's aging seawall has serious seismic vulnerability in the event of a big earthquake. The Port is one of a gaggle of city agencies working to plan and fund a seismic retrofit of the seawall. Read More
Publications
Earthquake Spectra: Preprint Manuscripts
One preprint manuscript has been posted to the Earthquake Spectra website prior to formal publication. The paper to be published is:
- Modeling the Residential Building Inventory in South America for Seismic Risk Assessment by Catalina Yepes-Estrada (M.EERI,2016), Vitor Silva (M.EERI,2014), Jairo Valcárcel, Ana Beatriz Acevedo, Nicola Tarque, Matías A. Hube (M.EERI,2005), Gustavo Coronel, Hernán Santa María
To read all current preprint manuscripts posted, visit Earthquake Spectra preprints. 
If you have questions about Spectra, contact Managing Editor Liz Stalnaker at liz@eeri.org
Back to top >Learning from Earthquakes
EERI Partners with IEEA to Report on December 7, 2016, Mw 6.5 Earthquake in Indonesia
A joint effort between the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), the Indonesian Earthquake Engineering Association (IEEA or AARGI), and Build Change is underway to develop a report pertaining to the Mw 6.5 earthquake that struck Pidie Jaya Regency of Aceh Province, Indonesia, on December 7, 2016, at 5:03 AM. The project is being facilitated by Hartanto Wibowo (M. EERI, 2007) and Edwin Lim (M. EERI, 2011).
The earthquake’s epicenter was located at 5.283°N 96.168°E, 98.5 km southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province, with a hypocenter 13 km below the surface. Pidie Jaya Regency has a population of 140,000 in an area of approximately 1,100 km. The main shock was felt for 10-15 seconds. The Indonesian Agency for Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysics reported more than 100 aftershocks.
A release from Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (or Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana/BNPB) estimates the total economic loss from this earthquake at 2.94 trillion Rupiah (approximately $221 million U.S.). The provincial government declared a state of emergency for 14 days following the quake, which caused 104 deaths, injured hundreds more, and displaced about 50 percent of the district’s population. Damage to 11,832 residential homes (2,202 badly damaged), 102 schools (22 badly damaged, 23 moderate), and more than 300 commercial and public buildings, religious establishments, and healthcare facilities has been reported and is yet to be verified. Infrastructure damage to roads, bridges, transformers and electrical poles resulted in disruption to services throughout the area.
Photo: Jami’ Quba Pangwa Mosque Collapsed in the Earthquake
Photo credit: Si Gam, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike.
New Report on the New Zealand Earthquake and Tsunami Released
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has issued a new report: EERI Preliminary Notes on Tsunami Damage and Response: Tsunami Generated by M7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand, Earthquake on November 14, 2016.
This report is a product of EERI’s Learning From Earthquakes (LFE) program, prepared by Rick Wilson (M. EERI, 2010), Senior Engineering Geologist with the California Geological Survey, and Laurie Johnson (M. EERI, 1990), Laurie Johnson Consulting/Research.
The report summarizes the damage and response outcomes of the tsunami generated by the M7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand, earthquake on November 14, 2016. Although an LFE field team was not deployed to investigate tsunami impacts, the report relies of the professional experience of the authors, and provides information compiled from numerous references, input from colleagues, and primary data collected during and after the event. Laurie Johnson was a member of the Geotechnical Extreme Event Reconnaissance team supported by the National Science Foundation to investigate geotechnical effects of the earthquake.
A PDF of the report is available as a free download. Read and download report
Announcements
EERI NYNE Chapter to hold 1-Day Symposium on New Zealand Earthquakes February 2, 2017
The EERI-NYNE Chapter is sponsoring a 1-day symposium and panel discussion:
2010-2011 and 2016 New Zealand Earthquakes: Assessment, Lessons, Planning, Reconstruction, and Code Modifications - Relevance to New York City and U.S. Critical Infrastructure.
The event will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2017 from 3:30 - 7:30 PM at The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen, 20 W. 44th Street, New York, NY.
Attendance is free but pre-registration is required due to space limitations. Please email nyne@eeri.org to register.
PDH units are offered at no cost to EERI members and $25 to non-members.
The program will feature talks by four of the foremost seismic experts involved in the 2010/11 Canterbury New Zealand and 2016 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquakes: Thomas D. O'Rourke (M.EERI,1980), Jonathon D. Bray (M.EERI,1990), Brendon A. Bradley (M.EERI,2012) and Ellen M. Rathje (M.EERI,1996).
A panel discussion will follow featuring Andrew Whittaker, David Wald (M.EERI,1988), Ramon Gilsanz (M.EERI,2011), Sissy Nikolaou (M.EERI,2004), President of the EERI NYNE Chapter, Mary Comerio (M.EERI,1988) EERI President.
More information on the symposium can be found on the promotional PDF here.
Back to top >Student Spotlight
PSU Forms New Student Chapter of EERI
EERI is pleased to welcome the new student chapter established at Portland State University.
The chapter's faculty advisor is Arash Khosravifar (M.EERI,2016), Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The EERI contact member is Yumei Wang (M.EERI,1989), Geohazards Engineer with the Oregon Department of Geology and Minerals Industries.
Founding student members are Kathleen Mitchell (M.EERI,2016), Erin Chew (M.EERI,2016), Ke Liilah Slingluff (M.EERI,2016), Quasay Aqooly (M.EERI,2016), Tamae Spruell (M.EERI,2016), Tsun-Ming Jonathon Sze (M.EERI,2016) and Joseph Hill (M.EERI,2016).