News of the Institute
2017 EERI Annual Meeting - Registration Now Open
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute will hold its 69th Annual Meeting, March 7-10, 2017, in Portland, Oregon.
Registration and full program details are now available on the 2017 Annual Meeting website. Under the theme of "The Really Big One: Road to Resilience," the local organizing committee created a program with a terrific mix of sessions ranging from the very specific and technical to the broader themes of what it takes for communities to understand and create resilient systems.
The meeting will recognize and celebrate the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program turning 40, with the plenary session “NEHRP at 40: Where We Go from Here,” and a breakout session “Advocating for the Reauthorization of NEHRP.”
There is a terrific program with great appeal to the broad EERI community. Come to Portland and explore, learn and connect!
For program, logistic, and registration details, visit the 2017 Annual Meeting website.
2017 EERI Annual Meeting – Call for Poster Abstracts and a Registration Grant Opportunity
Poster Abstracts: Individuals interested in participating in one of the 2017 Annual Meeting poster sessions are invited to submit abstracts by January 3, 2017. Presenters will be notified of acceptance in mid-January. Academic posters that target advanced research nearing completion and focusing on technology transfer to practitioners, and practitioner posters that target innovative applications of research in practice or identified code-based needs for research are encouraged.
Registration Grants: Thanks to support from FEMA, several registration grants are available to assist EERI student and young professional members to attend the 2017 Annual Meeting. Grants will be contingent upon participation in one of the poster sessions, either through the applicant's own research or project, or as a representative of a student chapter with a poster depicting the chapter's activities.
Visit the poster abstract and registration grant application page for more information: https://www.eeri.org/cohost/registration/2017-eeri-am-poster-abstract
For full program, logistics, and registration details, visit the 2017 Annual Meeting website. Apply by January 3, 2017!
Please renew you membership for 2017
2017 Membership Renewal
If you have not already done so, please renew your EERI membership for 2017. The easiest way to renew is through the personalized renewal emails sent to you in late October and on November 17th. You also should have recently received a paper form via the USPS. You can also renew through a visit to the EERI website. So many good options!
If you have any challenges with the renewal process, please contact Juliane Lane at juliane@eeri.org or at 510-451-0905.
Remember EERI Before the Tax Year Ends
This December, reduce your 2016 tax burden by making a donation to the EERI Endowment Fund. The generosity of EERI members has allowed the Institute to create many valuable programs since the Endowment's inception in 1994. Your gift will enable EERI to build on this substantial foundation by supporting innovative projects, independent of government funding, which will advance the field of earthquake engineering as well as benefit you, our members.
You may choose to donate to one of EERI's many important programs, like the World Housing Encyclopedia, or to the general endowment fund. The 2017 membership renewal form has a line to make a donation, or click on the "Donate" button on the top right of the EERI homepage.
Under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, members aged 70.5 years and older may make donations from IRAs without claiming the distributions as income. Please consider discussing this opportunity to support the EERI Endowment with your tax advisor.
Reminder: EERI Annual Student Paper Competition
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute is pleased to announce its Annual Student Paper Competition. The purpose of the competition is to promote scholarly involvement of students in earthquake engineering and the earthquake hazards research community.
The EERI Student Paper Competition is open to graduate and undergraduate applicants. Applicants must be enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university and must be U.S. residents. Contest rules for graduate and undergraduate paper categories are available on the competition flyer (PDF) at https://www.eeri.org/wp-content/uploads/Student_Paper_Competition_Flyer.pdf 
Guidelines for preparing the manuscript are accessible on the EERI website at http://www.eeri.org/about-eeri/honors-awards/eeri-competitions/#student_paper
All papers must be submitted by December 15, 2016, using the Student Paper Online Submission Form. 
The graduate and undergraduate paper winners will be invited to the 2017 EERI Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, March 7–10, 2017, and will receive a complimentary registration and a stipend to offset travel costs.
Welcome New EERI Staff Member Beki McElvain
EERI is delighted to welcome Associate Program Manager Beki McElvain to the EERI staff. As a full time staff member at our Oakland headquarters, Beki will be supporting a host of EERI programs, like LFE and SESI, while also assisting with meetings, professional development and other valued member-focused programs.
Beki holds a Masters in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Mills College. She has worked for the City of Oakland, the City and County of San Francisco, rural water resource non-profits, for policymakers, and as an educator. Internationally, Beki participated in cross-disciplinary research on cultural sustainability at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Most recently, she participated in a research project in Lagos, Nigeria assessing the UN's mandated "Human Right to Water" in practice, and testing the limitations of using LIDAR technology in densely populated terrain. In addition to a wide range of professional experience, Beki has over 5 years of practical experience using and teaching GIS and sustainable planning both in the public sector and in academic settings. Her interests include community stabilization, design for resilience, cultural and environmental sustainability, social policy, and now best of all, earthquake risk reduction!
You can learn a bit more about her expertise and experience at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bekimcelvain or http://www.bekimcelvain.com/. Members can reach her directly at bmcelvain@eeri.org.
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Publications
Earthquake Spectra: November 2016 Issue
The November 2016 issue of Earthquake Spectra (volume 32, issue 4) is now available online at http://earthquakespectra.org/toc/eqsa/32/4 
Print copies of the new issue of Earthquake Spectra have been mailed, and you may order additional copies at https://www.eeri.org/earthquake-spectra/
Highlights of this issue include the research manuscripts “Earthquake Loss Estimates and Policy Implications for Nonductile Concrete Buildings in Los Angeles” by Thalia Anagnos (M.EERI, 1982), Mary C. Comerio (M.EERI, 1988), and Jonathan P. Stewart (M.EERI, 1994); "Tsunami-Induced Overturning of Buildings in Onagawa during the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake” by Kohji Tokimatsu (M.EERI, 1994), Michitaka Ishida and Shusaku Inoue; “Disaggregating UCERF3 for Site-Specific Applications” by Glenn Biasi (M.EERI, 2015) and John G. Anderson (M.EERI, 1980); “Full-Scale Dynamic Testing of a Sliding Seismically Isolated Unibody House” by Ezra Jampole (M.EERI, 2012), Gregory Deierlein (M.EERI, 1989), Eduardo Miranda (M.EERI, 1987) , Benjamin Fell, Scott Swensen (M.EERI, 2010), and Cristian Acevedo (M.EERI, 2012); “Chile Strong Ground Motion Flatfile” by Nicolas Bastías and Gonzalo A. Montalva (M.EERI, 2010); and “The Global Earthquake Model Physical Vulnerability Database” by Catalina Yepes-Estrada (M.EERI, 2016), Vitor Silva (M.EERI, 2014), Tiziana Rossetto (M.EERI, 2010), Dina D'Ayala, Ioanna Ioannou, Abdelghani Meslem, and Helen Crowley (M.EERI, 2008).
If you have questions about this, or any issue, contact Managing Editor Liz Stalnaker at liz@eeri.org
Earthquake Spectra: Preprint Manuscripts
Two preprint manuscripts have been posted to the Earthquake Spectra website prior to formal publication. The papers to be published are:
- Ground Motion Intensity Measures to Evaluate I: The Liquefaction Hazard in the Vicinity of Shallow-Founded Structures by Shideh Dashti (M.EERI, 2009) and Zana Karimi (M.EERI, 2012)
- • Ground Motion Intensity Measures to Evaluate II: the Performance of Shallow-Founded Structures on Liquefiable Ground by Zana Karimi (M.EERI, 2012) and Shideh Dashti (M.EERI, 2009)
To read all current preprint manuscripts posted, visit Earthquake Spectra preprints. 
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News of the Profession
Links to Recent News and Views
Eight recent stories, reports, or opinions from around the Web:
Powerful Earthquake Jolted New Zealand Seabed 6 Feet Upward (Forbes)
An earthquake like this can increase the risk of a major earthquake nearby, although it can also decrease stress on a nearby fault and lessen the risk.
forbes.com 
Live in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, or Beverly Hills? Quake retrofits for apartments may be coming to you (LA Times)
The movement to retrofit buildings at risk of collapse in a large earthquake could take a major step forward in the coming months.
latimes.com 
Old habits hold back Japan earthquake insurance (Nikkei Asian Review)
"Despite being one of the most seismically active countries on the planet, Japan has an earthquake insurance penetration that remains astoundingly low. "
asia.nikkei.com
Introduce quake star ratings for buildings - engineer (Radio New Zealand)
A leading earthquake engineer is calling for a quake star rating system to be trialled on buildings.
radionz.co.nz
Major quake in San Andreas fault could be twice as damaging as previously thought (OC Register)
A newly released analysis from CoreLogic reveals that a major earthquake along the San Andreas fault could damage twice as many homes as previously thought.
ocregister.com
Researcher calls for long-term planning for recovery from big quake (InterAksyon)
Mary Comerio, a professor in the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley, believes there are two parts to disaster preparedness:
interaksyon.com
Scientists' research trench slips nine metres in Kaikoura Earthquake (Dominion Post)
Scientists investigating North Canterbury's Kekerengu Fault received a graphic example of its destructive power when a trench they had dug was ripped in half during the magnitude-7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake.
stuff.co.nz
Flat plates linked to mega earthquakes (Science Focus)
Flat plates - great for eating your dinner off, less good if you want to lessen the risk of a mega earthquake.
sciencefocus.com
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Announcements
EERI Executive Director Search – Reminder
The job description for the EERI Executive Director position is posted on our website (https://www.eeri.org/careers-at-eeri/).
The search committee, led by David Friedman, President Elect, will begin reviewing application packages immediately after the 12 noon PST, December 15, deadline.
Often, the best candidates come from inside the community so please encourage qualified candidates to apply and feel welcome to contact the Search Committee with your suggestions.
Candidates can send a letter of interest and resume with supporting qualifications to searchcommittee@eeri.org, ATTN: David Friedman, Chair, Search Committee. All applications will be kept in strictest confidence.
Our professional staff, strong Board leadership and of course, our incredible volunteer members who serve the organization put EERI in a strong position to move forward under a new Executive Director.
2nd Workshop on Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering – March 29-30, 2017
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) San Diego Chapter, the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Extension and the GeoInstitute San Diego Chapter are organizing the 2nd Workshop on Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering with the topic "Dealing with the Consequences of Liquefaction" on Wednesday-Thursday, March 29-30, 2017 in UCSD campus, San Diego, California. http://sandiego.eeri.org/?p=821. The first workshop in 2014 was a success with almost 300 attendees (https://sandiego.eeri.org/?p=203).
The second workshop will honor the lifetime achievements and contributions of Prof. Kenji Ishihara to the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering. The afternoon session of the second day of the workshop (Thursday, March 30, 2017) will be devoted to honor Prof. Ishihara and the session will be hosted by Prof. I.M. Idriss. We will have distinguished speakers from US, Japan, New Zealand, Europe and South America sharing with us their experiences with liquefaction mitigation, recent major earthquakes and highlighting the contributions of Prof. Kenji Ishihara. We are in the process of finalizing the final program and will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
A one-day short course before the workshop on Tuesday, March 28, will take place in the same venue. The topic of the course is "Liquefaction: From Site Characterization to User-Friendly Computer Programs." For more information about the course and registration, please visit http://sandiego.eeri.org/?p=903.
For registration options please visit http://sandiego.eeri.org/?page_id=831. If you have any questions, feedback or wish to sponsor this event, please feel free to contact the Chair of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Jorge Meneses, at jmenesesl@gmail.com
GEER Report on the August 2016 Central Italy Earthquake Series
The full GEER report on the August 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence is complete and now available at: http://geerassociation.org/component/geer_reports/?view=geerreports&id=76&layout=default.
The report has chapters on tectonic setting and faulting, ground motions, landslides, response of buildings and damage patterns, response of bridges, response of other infrastructure systems (retaining walls, dams, road embankments), and some concluding remarks on how the data from this event will be useful in future research.
3rd Iran International Conference on Structural Engineering – February 19-20, 2017
The 3rd Iran International Conference on Structural Engineering will be held by Iranian Society of Structural Engineering (ISSE) with cooperation of Iranian Inc. for Contemporary International Conferences & Fairs (IICIC) on February 19-20, 2017 in Tehran-Iran.
You can learn much more about the conference, including keynote speakers, paper topics and submission deadlines, and registration details at the event website: http://irastconf.com/site/.
2017 Fazlur R. Kahn Distinguished Lecture Series
The Spring 2017 Kahn Distinguished Lecture Series at Lehigh University is set. Lecturers include Eugen Brühwiler from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lawrence Griffis from Walter P. Moore, and Peter Weismantle from Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture.
For additional information about the Fazlur R. Khan Distinguished Lecture Series please visit: http://www.lehigh.edu/frkseries.
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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.
| $250 - $300 Joe Hollstein James Kelley |
$100 - $200 |
Other Amounts |
Thank you for your support!
Back to top >Welcome new members
Welcome New EERI Members
EERI welcomes the 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.
STUDENT MEMBERS
Karla Cuevas-Villalobos, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Civil
Marleni De los Santos, Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, Civil
Bashir Habboub, San Francisco State University, Civil
Sophia Michener, University of Washington
Alexandros Nikellis, SUNY Buffalo, Civil
Fiona O’Donnell, University of MA – Amherst, Civil
Panos Pantidis, University of MA – Amherst, Civil
Ryan Rockabrand, Naval Postgraduate School, Emergency Prep Response
Rachel Wang, University of MA – Amherst