Earthquake Expert Joins CEE Faculty

June 16, 2015 -- An international earthquake engineering authority who designs earthquake-resistant structures has joined the Samueli School faculty as an adjunct professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Farzad Naeim, founder and president of a structural analysis and design firm, has decades of experience in seismic studies and design of specialized computer applications.

Naeim, who earned master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering at USC, as well as a law degree from Concord University, studies the damage characteristics of earthquakes and their impact on seismic design practice.

He has served as editor-in-chief of Earthquake Spectra, president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, inaugural chair of the Governance Board of the U.S. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES), and chair of the 10th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering.

“Given Dr. Naeim’s unique expertise at the interface between research and professional practice, in addition to his national and international stature, his appointment represents an exciting new direction for the department and an extraordinary educational opportunity for our students,” said CEE department chair Brett Sanders.