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to secure buildings and other structures to the soil in earthquake-prone environments. Amy Rechenmacher, a recent NSF Early Career Award winner, Roger Ghanem and Amy Rechenmacher Sami Masri contributes additional expertise in the area. And Hank Koffman directs one of incorporated into the NEESGrid civil engineering’s fastest growing network. This network creates both areas: construction management. He is large-scale simulations of major quakes studying organizational ways to make centered at possible geographical building structures faster, cheaper and points, and also creates composite more efficient. systems, combining real and virtual Mihailo Trifunac and his elements that can test structures for colleagues Vincent Lee and Dave Wong quake resistance. ISI’s Carl Kesselman in the Strong Motion Earthquake and Bardet were co-principal investiEngineering group, operate the Los gators on one NEESGrid study; Erik Angeles and Vicinity Strong Motion Johnson is also researching in the field. Network, which has contributed Additional potential natural valuable data for numerous engineering dangers to certain coastal megacities and seismological studies. The group are posed by tsunamis, the huge waves also maintains and develops equipment generated by undersea quakes or and processing methods for ambient landslides. Systematic studies of these vibration testing of full-scale structures. waves, both theoretical and in the Seismic studies are greatly aided field, have been pioneered by Costas by new computer tools. Grid computing Synolakis, whose Tsunami Research techniques co-created by the USC Center, arguably one of the best in Information Sciences Institute were the world, became an internationally
hank koffman
James E. Moore ii
trusted center of information after the 2004 Indian Ocean disasters. Transportation and congestion is a critical megacity issue. Petros Ioannou of the Ming Hsieh Department codirects METRANS, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, with the aim of fostering high-quality research to solve pressing urban transportation problems. James E. Moore, II, who has an appointment in the Astani Department, in addition to chairing the Epstein Department, has long researched thorny urban transportation issues. And Najmedin Meshkati is an authority in ways of dealing with all forms of risk, from sources natural and human. This expertise will be brought to bear in addressing megacity problems.
1977 geraldine Knatz, today Executive director los Angeles Harbor, earns graduate degree 1990 Moved to Kaprielian Hall: new labs for structures, geotechnical, concrete, seismology, dynamics, hydromechanics
undergraduate CE–Building science (Architectural Engineering) program established
1982–1984 don Hudson, Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering department Environmental Engineering department
1984–1992 Mihran Agbabian, Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering department
1989 undergraduate CE–Environmental Engineering degree program established Minor in Environmental Engineering established
1991 undergraduate Environmental Engineering degree program established