Five EERI members, Catherine E. French, Ashraf Habibullah, Bret Lizundia, Juan Carlos De La Llera, and Jonathan P. Stewart, have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) as part of the class of 2024, and will be formally inducted into the academy this coming October. NAE membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."
Catherine E. Wolfgram French (M.EERI 1984) was honored “for design, safety, and construction of structural concrete buildings and bridges.” French is a CSE Distinguished Professor Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. French became the first female professor in civil engineering at the University of Minnesota in 1984. She has been honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as a Distinguished Member (2018) and was named Minnesota Woman of the Year in 2017 by the Women in Transportation Studies. French is recognized for her contributions to the field of structural engineering, her service and leadership in code development for reinforced concrete structures, and her dedication to her students at the University of Minnesota.
Ashraf Habibullah (M.EERI 1999) was honored “for structural engineering software for use by engineers globally and for advocacy of the engineering profession.” Habibullah has served as Founder, President, and CEO of Computers & Structures, Inc. (CSI) since its incorporation in 1975. Recognized globally as a pioneer in software tools for structural earthquake engineering, CSI provides design support for major projects to thousands of engineering firms in over 160 countries, and its software is widely used in research and education. For many years, under Habibullah's leadership, CSI has been one of EERI's biggest supporters as a Visionary-level Subscribing Member. Without fail, Habibullah and CSI enthusiastically provide support for EERI's programs and conferences including the Student Leadership Council (SLC), Annual Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition (SDC) and serving as the Anchor Sponsor for in person meetings such as the 2024 Annual Meeting. Each summer, CSI hosts the SLC Planning Retreat at their offices in Walnut Creek, California.
Bret Lizundia (M.EERI 1992) was honored “for seismic design through applied research, innovative practice, earthquake reconnaissance, and building code development.” Lizundia serves as a structural engineer and principal at Rutherford + Chekene in San Francisco. He has over 26 years of experience in structural design of new buildings, seismic evaluation and rehabilitation of existing buildings, peer review and plan checking, and applied research and guideline development. Lizundia was part of reconnaissance teams for the 1989 Loma Prieta, 1994 Northridge, 2001 Nisqually Washington, 2010 Eureka, California, 2010 Chile, 2011 New Zealand, and the 2014 South Napa, California earthquakes. He is a former president of the Applied Technology Council and the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. In 1998, Lizundia was awarded the EERI Shah Family Innovation Prize for young professionals.
Juan Carlos de la Llera (M.EERI 1997) was honored “for contributions to seismic isolation and energy dissipation for improved earthquake performance and safety.” De la Llera has been dean of the Faculty of Engineering since 2010 and Professor of the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. He has been a pioneer in the development of systems to reduce vibrations in structures: energy dissipators (Titanium Tower, Parque Araucano building), and seismic isolation (UC San Carlos de Apoquindo Clinic, Military Hospital, Coronel Dock). All of these structures successfully withstood the February 2010 earthquake. In 2010 he was awarded the Avonni Award for innovation in the area of Architecture, Urban Planning and Construction, for the design of the seismic protection system of the Titanium Tower, awarded by the Innovation Forum. He has made numerous contributions to seismic isolation and energy dissipation for improved earthquake performance and safety.
Jonathan P. Stewart (M.EERI 1994) was honored “for improved understanding of soil-structure interaction, earthquake ground motions, site response, and soil liquefaction.” Stewart is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UCLA, where he has been a faculty member since 1996 and served as department chair from 2012-2018. He is an expert in geotechnical earthquake engineering and engineering seismology. He serves on the Building Seismic Safety Council Provisions Update Committee and the Southern California Earthquake Center Planning Committee, and is co-principal investigator of the Geotechnical Extreme Event Reconnaissance Association. He also served as chief editor for the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and editor of Earthquake Spectra. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Bruce Bolt Medal and the Joyner Lecture from EERI and Seismological Society of America, the Huber Prize and Casagrande Award from ASCE, and the NSF CAREER Award. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
EERI congratulates them on their achievements and this highly prestigious honor!
