EERI is pleased to announce the candidates for President-Elect and Director for the 2026 Board of Directors Election. You can view the candidate bios below.
All eligible EERI voting members will receive an email with a link to access their secure online ballot to cast their vote starting October 1, 2025. The election will close on November 1, 2025 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
President-Elect:
Scott Ashford (M. EERI, 1992)
Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and former Dean of the College of Engineering, Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
Scott A. Ashford, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, is a Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU). He just completed 12 years as Dean of the College of Engineering, where led the college to significant growth in research, enrollment, and national influence. A recognized leader in earthquake engineering and higher education, he is known for bringing people together around a shared vision, and then collectively implementing that vision.
Dr. Ashford earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from OSU in 1983 and began his career at CH2M HILL in the San Francisco Bay Area. He later completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He is an international expert in blast-induced liquefaction, soil-structure interaction and slope stability. He is the author or co-author of over 60 refereed publications and has participated in over a dozen post-earthquake investigations, several on behalf of EERI.
After time in private industry, as well as academic appointments at the Asian Institute of Technology and the University of California, San Diego, he joined OSU in 2007 as Head of the School of Civil and Construction Engineering and was named Dean of the College Engineering in 2014. Under his leadership, the college graduated 24,000 engineers into the workforce, tripled research expenditures, and raised nearly $400M through philanthropy. He prioritized a sense of belonging in the college community, significantly increasing underrepresented groups within the student body and faculty.
Beyond academia, Dr. Ashford has influenced public policy. Most recently, he completed eight years on the governing board of the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries DOGAMI), including two years as board chair. He chaired the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Taskforce on Implementation of the Oregon Resilience Plan, both on behalf of the governor. He has often testified before the state and federal legislatures.
Dr. Ashford’s professional recognition includes being named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and receiving the ASCE Oregon Section’s Government Engineer of the Year Award in 2023. He has also been honored for his efforts to promote diversity in the engineering profession by the Society of Women Engineers and the Associated General Contractors.
Dr. Ashford’s first experience with EERI was in 1991, attending the Fourth International Conference on Seismic Zonation held at Stanford University. He has been involved ever since, as a member for over 30 years and serving on the EERI Board of Directors from 2012 through 2016. He co-chaired 10th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (NCEE) in Anchorage and is currently co-chair of the 13th NCEE to be held in Portland in 2026.
Vision Statement:
I am honored to be considered for EERI president. Since my first EERI conference in 1991, I was hooked. I have volunteered for EERI for over 30 years. In 2007, as NSF funding was sunsetting for the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), I worked to make EERI the permanent home for the Shake Table Competition and the Student Leadership Council. I then served on the EERI Board of Directors from 2012 to 2016. When I reflect on what I value about EERI beyond the international impact on seismic safety and resilience, two things come to mind. First is the opportunity to engage with so many adjacent disciplines. As a geotechnical engineer, working so closely in EERI with seismologists, architects, social scientists, and other engineering disciplines has been instrumental to my career (and enjoyable!). Second, the unique nature of the Learning From Earthquakes (LFE) program has helped shape the careers of many professionals, in addition to gathering precious perishable data.
As president of EERI, I would strive to implement our shared vision: to increase our understanding of earthquake risk and to improve community resilience to earthquake and other hazards. During my term as president, I see three areas of focus for our future. First is our membership. A healthy and growing membership is critical to our ability to succeed in our mission. I would continue efforts to provide the value expected by our members at all levels. I also see an opportunity to further leverage our engagement with university students to grow our membership. Second is fiscal stewardship. I appreciate our current leadership and would continue to ensure that our spending aligns with our priorities as an organization. I have been very impressed with the efforts around fundraising for the LFE program, and I envision philanthropy to be a growing part of our impact. Third, I believe we need to explore our role in the hazard-resilience ecosystem. While there is a uniqueness to many earthquake hazards, there is multi-hazard commonality among many aspects of creating resilient communities. In closing, I look to the opportunity to serve you as your president. See you at the 13NCEE in Portland this July!
Director A:
Carlos Molina Hutt (M. EERI, 2011)
Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
Dr. Carlos Molina Hutt is an Associate Professor of Structural and Earthquake Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, where he leads the Engineering for Seismic Resilience Laboratory. His research focuses on seismic risk in buildings and its impact on urban resilience, with a particular emphasis on developing practical tools and data for engineers, planners, and policymakers.
He joined UBC in 2018 from University College London (UCL), where he was a lecturer. He holds degrees in Earthquake Engineering (PhD, UCL), Structural Engineering (MSc, Stanford), and Civil Engineering (BSc, Villanova). During his PhD studies, Carlos was a visiting scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China (2015-2016). Before his PhD, he worked as a structural engineer at Arup New York from 2009 to 2013.
In 2019, Carlos received EERI’s Shah Family Innovation Prize, recognizing creativity and leadership in earthquake risk mitigation. In 2022, he was invited by the U.S. Building Seismic Safety Council to become a member of the Functional Recovery Task Committee, where he has developed prescriptive seismic design provisions for functional recovery performance for the next generation of building codes. He continues this effort as a member of the Seismic Subcommittee in the ASCE 7-28 code revision cycle. He has also been actively engaged in the development of seismic risk mitigation policies in the City of Vancouver, serving as a member of the City’s Seismic Policy Advisory Committee since 2018, and as a specialist consultant to the City since 2020.
Carlos has been engaged with EERI for nearly 15 years and has developed a strong understanding of the organization and its activities. He served on the EERI BC Chapter board (2018–2024) and as faculty advisor to the UBC Seismic Design Team (since 2020). He is contributing to the Technical Program Committee for the upcoming 13th NCEE and has participated in the organization of prior NCEEs and Annual Meetings (e.g., serving on Organizing Committees and other roles). Since 2022, he has served on the editorial board of Earthquake Spectra. In 2024, he joined an interdisciplinary Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) mission to study recovery from the 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey) Earthquakes—reinforcing the importance of integrating engineering and social science perspectives—and in 2025, he began supporting the organization of the LFE Travel Study program. These experiences underscore the breadth of his involvement across EERI’s programs, positioning him to bring a global, interdisciplinary perspective to the Board’s strategic discussions.
Carlos is a licensed engineer in California (PE), British Columbia (PEng), and the UK (CEng). He has experience as an independent consultant and has worked for civil engineering design firms, the humanitarian sector, and the insurance and reinsurance sectors. His research is supported by local, national, and international agencies and is grounded in close collaboration with industry, government, and academic partners to advance earthquake resilience in practice.
In his free time, he enjoys walks with his dog Whisky, mountain biking, playing soccer, and has recently become an avid pickleball player.
Vision Statement:
Since joining in 2011, EERI has been a continuous source of inspiration. Its leadership in helping communities understand earthquake risk motivated me to pursue a PhD in earthquake engineering and continues to guide my work today as a faculty member.
I see EERI as a diverse community in both membership and perspectives. EERI is well-positioned to strengthen its role as an international leader in disaster risk reduction, not only through research and policy but also by building connections and partnerships that make our work more relevant and impactful at every level, from regional chapters to global collaborations.
Having served on the EERI BC Chapter board, I have seen how EERI’s regional chapters play a vital role in building local engagement and advancing the organization’s mission on the ground. As a board member, I would work to support these chapters by fostering stronger connections between them, sharing examples of successful activities and initiatives, and building a more cohesive and supportive network. By highlighting and disseminating best practices, we can help chapters elevate their impact, strengthen their membership, and contribute more visibly to EERI’s national and international efforts.
As a board member, a key priority for me will be to find meaningful ways to empower young and early-career members within EERI. A central part of my vision is ensuring that these members are not only well-equipped to address evolving challenges but are also given opportunities to lead and shape the organization’s future. Equally important is ensuring that student members maintain their connection to EERI as they transition into their professional careers, so the organization continues to benefit from their talent and energy. Investing in their growth, supporting their membership continuity, and creating clear pathways to leadership are essential for EERI’s continued relevance, innovation, and long-term impact.
I am committed to working with the Board to ensure that EERI remains innovative, inclusive, and impactful in advancing earthquake resilience worldwide, while maintaining the organization’s long-term financial strength.
Henry Burton (M. EERI, 2011)
Associate Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Dr. Henry V. Burton is an Associate Professor and the Presidential Chair in Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research areas include performance-based earthquake engineering, nonlinear structural analysis, and urban seismic resilience. Dr. Burton is a registered structural engineer in the state of California. Prior to obtaining his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, he spent six years in practice at Degenkolb Engineers, where he worked on numerous projects involving design of new buildings and seismic evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Next Generation of Disaster Researchers Fellowship (2014), the National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2016), and the Structural Engineering Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) S.B. Barnes Research Award (2024).
Dr. Burton has been an active member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) for over 15 years. During his time at Stanford University, he served as President of the EERI Student Chapter, fostering engagement between students and the broader earthquake engineering community. As a faculty member at UCLA, his research group has regularly contributed to EERI Annual Meetings and National Conferences, with numerous student presentations advancing knowledge and practice in earthquake engineering. He served as a member of the local organizing committee for the 11th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (11NCEE) in Los Angeles, California, and he is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Technical Committee for the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (13NCEE), which will be held in Portland, Oregon. Through these roles, Dr. Burton has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to advancing EERI’s mission of reducing earthquake risk and enhancing resilience through research, education, and practice.
Vision Statement:
As a longtime member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), I have benefited immensely from the community’s shared commitment to reducing earthquake risk on a global scale. My vision for serving on the EERI Board builds on this foundation by focusing on three key initiatives: strengthening member engagement across career stages, enhancing EERI’s public presence, and innovating how we share lessons from post-earthquake reconnaissance.
First, I believe EERI’s strength lies in cultivating the next generation of leaders in earthquake engineering. My own journey began as President of the EERI Student Chapter at Stanford University and has continued as a faculty advisor to the student chapter at UCLA. These experiences showed me the importance of sustaining the pipeline from student to established professional. As a Board member, I would champion programs that create pathways for young members to contribute meaningfully to EERI initiatives.
Second, raising the public profile of EERI is vital to ensuring that our work informs and influences the broader society. Expanding into diverse media platforms such as podcasts, social media, and interactive online content, will offer opportunities to reach broader audiences, amplify EERI’s voice, and highlight the impact of our members’ work on community resilience.
Finally, EERI’s Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) program has long been a cornerstone of the organization. Building on its success, I envision exploring new approaches to disseminating reconnaissance findings by leveraging digital tools, visual storytelling, and open-access repositories. In doing so, we can ensure that critical lessons are accessible to researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the public.
Through these efforts, I hope to help EERI continue to lead as the premier organization for advancing earthquake resilience by fostering membership engagement, expanding visibility, and ensuring the timely and effective transfer of knowledge.
Director B:
Emel Seyhan (M. EERI, 2010)
Director, Analytics & Modeling, Moody’s RMS
Newark, California
Emel Seyhan is a Director in the Analytics & Modeling Department at Moody’s (formerly RMS), where she leads the Earthquake Ground Motion and Site Response Modeling Team based in Newark, California. Over the past decade, she has developed catastrophe hazard and risk model projects across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania—transforming how seismic risk is quantified and managed in the global reinsurance and brokerage sectors. Her strategic leadership has helped shape Moody’s global risk assessment capabilities.
Emel holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA and is widely recognized for her contributions to the NGA-West 2 ground motion and site response models. She has authored over ten journal publications (2013–2024), served on the Seismic Design Competition Committee (2010-2012), taught as part-time faculty at California State University, Long Beach (2020-2022) and recently retired from the EERI Northern California Chapter Board of Directors. She is an active member of the USGS and New Zealand NSHM GMCM Technical Advisory Group. She remains involved in research beyond her professional role, including contributions to the NGA-West 3.
Outside of work, Emel enjoys hiking, bird watching, and spending quality time with her two-year-old daughter and family.
Vision Statement:
My journey in earthquake engineering has been driven by a commitment to connect data, science, and engineering with the decisions that shape community resilience. Early in my career, contributing to NGA-West2 to advance ground motion and site response models taught me the value of rigorous methods and interdisciplinary collaboration—a foundation that continues to guide my professional work. Today, as Director of Global Seismic Hazard and Risk Modeling at Moody’s (formerly RMS), I see how scientific integrity, paired with practical application, transforms resilience from aspiration to action—delivering real-world impact and innovative solutions to the complex challenges communities face.
Earthquake resilience demands more than technical excellence—it requires strategic integration across disciplines, data, and policy. With over a decade of experience in modeling, including my work at Moody’s developing global seismic hazard and risk models, I see a critical opportunity for EERI to lead the convergence of seismic hazard, risk, and loss modeling into a unified framework that better informs design, policy, and community preparedness.
If elected to the EERI Board of Directors, my vision is to help EERI lead this integration through technical initiatives, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strategic partnerships. This includes:
- Filling gaps between seismic hazard, risk, and loss modeling by promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring our models reflect the complexity of real-world impacts.
- Championing high-quality, accessible data as the foundation for credible analysis and effective decision-making—and positioning EERI to set standards and advocate for open, accurate datasets.
- Expanding Learning From Earthquakes (LFE)—a cornerstone of EERI’s mission—to include long-term tracking of policy and engineering changes and to integrate modern tools that accelerate knowledge sharing.
- Advancing responsible applications of artificial intelligence in earthquake engineering to enhance predictive capabilities, automate reconnaissance insights, extract knowledge from large datasets, and support rapid post-event assessments.
Additionally, EERI can deepen its engagement with federal agencies—such as FEMA, USGS, and NIST—not only as a technical advisor but as a strategic partner in shaping national risk-reduction frameworks, particularly around the emerging priority of functional recovery. By aligning EERI’s multidisciplinary expertise with agency initiatives, we can amplify our collective impact and ensure that earthquake resilience—including the ability of communities to rapidly regain functionality—remains a national imperative.
EERI has the talent, credibility, and reach to lead this transformation. I am humbled and excited to contribute my experience and vision to help guide the Institute into its next chapter.
Guillermo Franco (M. EERI, 2005)
Managing Director and Global Head of Catastrophe Risk Research, Guy Carpenter
New York, New York
Dr. Guillermo Franco is Managing Director and Global Head of Catastrophe Risk Research at Guy Carpenter, the reinsurance brokerage arm of Marsh McLennan (MMC). He leads the research and development of novel parametric reinsurance and cat bond products that have helped transfer over $5 billion of earthquake, hurricane, and wildfire risk to the capital markets. In past roles, he designed and led the company’s strategy to evaluate catastrophe risk models, and created a research network that catalyzed the adoption of scientific knowledge in the reinsurance market. He has served the company from offices in Boston, London, Dublin, and New York.
Guillermo started his career in insurance at AIR Worldwide (now Verisk), where he was a Manager and Principal Engineer. He contributed to the development of earthquake risk models in Central America and Europe, and led the design of parametric transactions. He created the Decision Analytics practice, focused on the application of numerical optimization methods to insurance operations. Prior to entering the industry, Guillermo was a Research Fellow and Research Program Manager at Columbia University’s Earth Institute in New York, where he conducted research on the socioeconomic impacts of disasters.
Guillermo is a strong believer in the importance of fieldwork to understand environmental and societal vulnerabilities. He has participated in more than a dozen reconnaissance missions. While at Columbia, he surveyed coastal damages in Sri Lanka after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004, and led the Earth Institute’s damage data collection campaign in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He also participated in field projects to assist local NGOs in Bolivia and Timor-Leste. In 2009, he supported EERI’s reconnaissance in L’Aquila, which later led him to join the 2010 Chile EERI survey team, and then to lead EERI’s fieldwork in Sri Lanka in 2013 to monitor progress in reconstruction. Guillermo has also collaborated in deployments organized by the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) in the UK. In 2015 he was part of the Nepal EEFIT mission, and, in 2016, he had the privilege of leading the Ecuador EEFIT reconnaissance.
Guillermo has more than fifty publications in journals and conference proceedings. He is a Fellow of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz and has a courtesy faculty appointment as Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Mathematics of Florida International University.
Guillermo studied civil (structural) engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalunya in his native Barcelona, Spain, and later obtained his master’s and doctorate in civil engineering and engineering mechanics from Columbia University in the City of New York. He holds Associate in Reinsurance (A.Re.) and Associate in Risk Management (A.R.M.) certifications.
Vision Statement:
I envision an EERI that continues to nurture core initiatives like Learning from Earthquakes while further expanding into the rapidly evolving realm of financial risk transfer.
Over my 20 years as an engineer in reinsurance, I have observed that most of my colleagues who routinely help trade billions of dollars of catastrophe risk only have a distant view of the causes and consequences of these events. Their experience is mostly derived from interacting with modeling software, and I have often wondered how many years’ worth of simulation insights they could gain from a single LFE reconnaissance mission.
This presents an opportunity for EERI to redouble our efforts to engage with the insurance and reinsurance community—offering our collective expertise and diverse educational resources while learning about the specific needs of earthquake professionals embedded within the industry.
Stronger connections with the financial side of earthquake risk management will, in turn, enrich EERI, revealing avenues for sponsorship, and opening new professional opportunities for our members.
We are all aware that obtaining insurance coverage is increasingly difficult. The market attributes this largely to the rise of climate-related impacts, such as floods and wildfires. Yet when insurance retreats, it often reduces exposures broadly rather than strategically. Catastrophe insurance—and earthquake insurance in particular—will require more thoughtful and efficient approaches, and EERI is well positioned to provide leadership in this evolving risk landscape.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my 20-year affiliation with EERI and have had the privilege of learning from many of our colleagues. I am honored to be nominated for a Director position at an institute I admire and look forward to the opportunity to support our members and contribute to our impact.
