Farzad Naeim Awarded the Bruce Bolt Medal

Jan. 19, 2017 - Farzad Naeim, adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Bruce A. Bolt Medal. Awarded jointly by the Consortium of Strong Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS), the Seismological Society of America (SSA), and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), the medal recognizes 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.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this medal. Bruce Bolt was a dear friend and an invaluable mentor to me,” said Naeim, who is a licensed civil and structural engineer as well as a licensed patent attorney. “The fact that I receive this distinguished medal jointly from COSMOS, SSA and EERI is a confirmation of the fact that we can and should cooperate across all disciplines of science, engineering and public policy to enhance seismic safety worldwide.”

Naeim has been making significant contributions to earthquake engineering, technology and public policy for more than three decades. He has worked with the city of Los Angeles to develop regulations for the design and construction of very tall buildings, and his contributions have resulted in significant seismic safety improvements in Los Angeles and other major cities. He also has taken the best technology publicly available and developed 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.

Additionally, Naeim has served in numerous leadership roles, including president of EERI, editor-in-chief of Earthquake Spectra and chair of the Governance Board of the U.S. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. He currently serves on the Seismic Advisory Board of the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) and is chair of the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Advisory Committee of the California Geological Survey.

He will receive the Bruce Bolt Medal at the EERI Annual Meeting in March 2017 in Portland, Oregon.

- Lori Brandt