Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jean-Pierre Bardet National Civil Engineering Department Heads Meetings Portland, OR May 27, 2009 Research in Civil Engineering

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Outline 1.Reports on Earthquakes 2.Virtual Earthquakes 3.Conclusion

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering NAE Grand Challenges NAE Grand Engineering Challenges Serve as a call to action and a focal point for society’s attention to quality of life issues. Address complex social, climate, and technological problems as well as global human problems that will require multidisciplinary teams of engineers working with policy makers, industry professionals, and social scientists in focused problem solving communication. In the 21st century, civil engineers will have to play a pivotal role while scientists and other engineers explore genomic structure of life build nano-materials extend life spans assemble huge information systems connect cultures via social networks.

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering NAE Grand Challenges Civil engineers will have to innovate as population grows and demographics changes. They will have to resolve challenges from unprecedented urbanization increasing consumption of resource national security global climate change, economic globalization pressures from poverty. They will face daunting challenges such as new energy sources warmer planet due to excess of greenhouse gases flooding of coastal developments due to sea- level rise aging and inadequate infrastructures in cities and megacities with large, dense populations.

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering USC and Megacities In 2007 USC found its big vision by focusing its research directions on the challenges of megacities like Los Angeles. Mega-cities with more than 10 million people exemplify urban challenges caused by population growth, urban migration and globalization Megacities will have to Become safer and more livable, Have a sustainable environment, clean air and drinking water, and less traffic congestion. November 2007, thanks to Sonny Astani, a developer in downtown Los Angeles, our Department received the largest naming gift ever to be bestowed to a department of civil and environmental engineering in the Nation

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research Sessions 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM: Session 1: J. P. Bardet Big picture in engineering and civil engineering Richard Richard Miller, Olin College President Blaine Leonard, ASCE 3:00 PM – 3:30:PM: Break 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Session 2: George Blandford Research, government incentives, and engineering practice.

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Survey

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Richard K. Miller President and first employee of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering on February 1, 1999, where he also holds an appointment as professor of mechanical engineering. Before joining Olin College, : Dean of Engineering at the University of Iowa : Professor and Associate Dean, University of Southern California : Professor: University of California, Santa Barbara. About 100 technical publications in the field of applied mechanics, and has won five awards for teaching excellence. Member of the governance boards for two independent colleges and The Stanley Group, an international engineering services company.

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Richard K. Miller Chair of the NSF Engineering Advisory Committee Chair of the Association of Independent Technological Universities Member of the Visiting Committee for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University Member of the Higher Education Working Group of the Council on Foreign Relations Consultant to the World Bank in forming new universities in developing countries. B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 1971, where he is the recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award. S.M. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1972 Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics from Caltech in 1976.

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Blaine Leonard President-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2008, and will be installed as president in the fall of Research program manager for the Utah Department of Transportation in Salt Lake City since 201. Responsible for balancing needs, priorities and resources in the Research Division, as well as managing a wide variety of geotechnical, structural, seismic, environmental, and traffic safety research efforts. He manages the applied research program – including the project selection process and budgets. Served as vice president and principal civil/geotechnical engineer for Van Boerum & Frank Associates, Salt Lake City Adjunct professor at the University of Utah in the civil and environmental engineering department.

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Blaine Leonard Fellow of ASCE. Vice president of Zone IV Director of District 11 Governor for the Society’s Geo-Institute President of the Utah Section Chairman of the Utah Section geotechnical group President of the University of Utah Student Chapter. In 2000, he was named the Utah Section Engineer of the Year. Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering Master’s in geotechnical engineering from the University of Utah. A licensed professional engineer in Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado

Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Panel President Richard Miller, Olin College President Blaine Leonard, ASCE J. P. Bardet, USC (Moderator)